What is a symptom?

What is a symptom?

• A. A laboratory result
• B. An objective finding observed by the nurse
• C. A subjective finding verbalized by the client
• D. A medical diagnosis

Answer: (C)

A symptom is the patient's subjective experience that they verbalize to describe how they feel. It reflects what the client personally feels or experiences, such as pain, nausea, or dizziness, and relies on the patient's report. This differs from a sign, which is an objective finding observed or measured by someone else, like fever, a rash, or elevated blood pressure. It also isn’t a lab result, which is a measurable value from tests, or a medical diagnosis, which is the clinician’s interpretation of those findings. So the best answer is the one that involves the client’s own words about their experience.

A symptom is the patient's subjective experience that they verbalize to describe how they feel. It reflects what the client personally feels or experiences, such as pain, nausea, or dizziness, and relies on the patient's report. This differs from a sign, which is an objective finding observed or measured by someone else, like fever, a rash, or elevated blood pressure. It also isn’t a lab result, which is a measurable value from tests, or a medical diagnosis, which is the clinician’s interpretation of those findings.

So the best answer is the one that involves the client’s own words about their experience.