Which statement is an example of subjective data?

Which statement is an example of subjective data?

• A. The patient reports a pain level of 5 on a 10-point scale.
• B. The patient's temperature is 101.0 F.
• C. The patient consumed 50 percent of the meal.
• D. The patient urinated every hour.

Answer: (A)

Subjective data are the patient’s own reports of how they feel, perceive, or experience something. Pain is a personal sensation that only the patient can truly know, so a self-reported pain level on a numeric scale represents subjective data because it relies on the patient’s description of their experience. Objective data, in contrast, are observable and measurable without the patient’s personal input—such as a measured temperature, observed intake of a meal, or the number of times a patient urinates—which can be verified by someone other than the patient. So the statement describing the patient’s pain rating is the example of subjective data.

Subjective data are the patient’s own reports of how they feel, perceive, or experience something. Pain is a personal sensation that only the patient can truly know, so a self-reported pain level on a numeric scale represents subjective data because it relies on the patient’s description of their experience. Objective data, in contrast, are observable and measurable without the patient’s personal input—such as a measured temperature, observed intake of a meal, or the number of times a patient urinates—which can be verified by someone other than the patient. So the statement describing the patient’s pain rating is the example of subjective data.