What do short and long term goals focus on?

• A. What the patient will be able to do.
• B. What the nurse will do.
• C. The medication regimen.
• D. What the patient will be able to do or achieve.

Answer: (D)

Short- and long-term goals in the nursing process describe what the patient will be able to do or achieve. These outcomes are patient-centered, observable, and measurable, guiding the planning, interventions, and evaluation of care. Short-term goals are reachable in the near term to show progress and adjust the plan as needed, while long-term goals reflect the ultimate health status or functional outcomes the care aims to accomplish. They should specify concrete abilities or milestones and be time-bound so progress can be assessed.

This focus on the patient’s capabilities distinguishes goals from what the nurse will do (the actions taken by caregivers) or from the medication regimen itself. By centering goals on what the patient will achieve, the care plan remains outcome-oriented rather than process-oriented.