Subjective data in nursing refers to information obtained from the patients perceptions, feelings, or experiences, which cannot be measured or observed directly by the nurse/02%3A_Health_History/2.02%3A_Health_History_Basic_Concepts). This type of data is collected through verbal or written communication with the patient, family members, caregivers, or significant others. Examples of subjective data in nursing include pain level, dizziness, fatigue, and the patients emotional state.

Subjective data is important in nursing because it provides insight into the patients experience and can help nurses understand the patients perspective. It can also signal the nurse about things that may be problematic for the patient and can indicate specific patient strengths that could be useful when communicating with and caring for patients.

When documenting subjective data in a progress note, it should be included in quotation marks and start with verbiage such as "The patient reports..." or "The patients wife states..."/02%3A_Health_History/2.02%3A_Health_History_Basic_Concepts). It is important to describe subjective data in detail to reduce bias in evaluation and communication.

In contrast, objective data in nursing refers to factual information that can be measured or observed directly by the nurse, such as vital signs, physical examination findings, and laboratory results/02%3A_Health_History/2.02%3A_Health_History_Basic_Concepts). Objective data is considered more reliable than subjective data because it is not influenced by personal opinions or preferences.

Both subjective and objective data are essential pieces of the clinical story, and nurses use them to create a nursing diagnosis and plan care for their patients/02%3A_Health_History/2.02%3A_Health_History_Basic_Concepts). It is important to differentiate between the two types of data not only for charting purposes but also to communicate with others on the care team. While the biomedical model often prioritizes objective data, subjective data provide insight into the patients experience and should not be overlooked.