What term refers to any object or objective the patient or nurse seeks to attain?

• A. Objective
• B. Goal
• C. Intervention
• D. Baseline data

Answer: (B)

In nursing practice, the term that captures what the patient and nurse aim to achieve is the goal. A goal is a patient-centered description of the desired health status or behavior change you want to reach, set within a specific time frame, and it guides planning and evaluation of care. It can be long‑term or short‑term, and it tells you what success looks like for the patient. An objective is more specific and measurable, a concrete step that works toward reaching a goal—for example, stating exactly how a patient will perform a task within a set period. Interventions are the actions taken to reach the goals, and baseline data are the starting measurements used to judge progress. So the term for the overarching target both patient and nurse seek to attain is the goal.