Complete the GOAL: minimize ______ for the patient.

• A. Complications
• B. Discomfort
• C. Anxiety
• D. Cost

Answer: (A)

The main aim in patient care is to prevent adverse events from occurring. Minimizing complications focuses on stopping problems like infections, wound issues, falls, medication errors, or organ dysfunction that can worsen a patient’s health. Keeping these complications at bay directly protects safety and improves outcomes.

Discomfort, while important to relieve, is a symptom rather than the overarching safety goal. Anxiety matters because it can affect cooperation and stress, but it’s not the primary outcome we pursue for safety and long-term health. Cost matters at the system level, but it isn’t a direct patient-centered outcome like preventing harm.

So, the best choice is minimizing complications, because it directly targets preventing harm and promoting better recovery for the patient. In practice, this guides actions such as infection control, early mobilization to prevent clots, proper wound care, and careful monitoring to catch problems early.