Which outcome statement is written correctly in a care plan?

• A. The nursing assistant will set the patient up for a bath every day.
• B. The patient will eat 80% of all meals.
• C. The patient will identify three ways to increase dietary intake of fiber by June 5 at 1800.
• D. The patient will have improved airway clearance by June 5.

Answer: (C)

This question tests how to write outcomes that are observable, measurable, and time-bound in a care plan. An outcome that states the patient will identify three ways to increase dietary fiber intake by a specific time is best because it is action-oriented, quantifies exactly what the patient will do (identify three ways), centers on the patient’s learning, and includes a clear deadline (by June 5 at 1800). This makes the outcome concrete and easy to assess.

The other options don’t meet that standard as well. Setting up a bath is a nursing task for staff, not an outcome about the patient’s status. Saying the patient will eat 80% of all meals is measurable but missing a defined time frame and does not specify that the patient is engaging in a learning or behavioral change. Wording about improved airway clearance is vague; it doesn’t specify what will improve, how it will be measured, or by when. The chosen statement demonstrates a precise, time-bound, patient-centered learning objective that can be observed and evaluated.