The nurse is assessing a newly admitted patient's current medications. What does the best objective data include?
1. The patient's wife tells the nurse what medications the patient has been receiving.
2. The nurse checks the prescription bottles the patient has brought to the hospital.
3. The nurse asks the physician what medications the patient was currently taking.
4. The patient lists the medications that have been prescribed.
Correct Answer: 2
Rationale: Objective data includes information gathered through assessment, and not necessarily what the patient says or perceives. The most reliable and objective assessment by the nurse is to check the patient's prescription medication bottles. A list of medications provided by the patient and the patient's wife is subjective, not objective data. Asking the physician what medication the patient was receiving is subjective data, and the physician may not remember all the medication the patient was receiving.
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