Which timeframe best describes short-term goals?

• A. Minutes to hours
• B. 1 month to 3 months
• C. Hours to 7 days
• D. 2 weeks to 1 month

Answer: (C)

Short-term goals are set to be reached in the near future to drive immediate care decisions and rapid progress. This typically means a timeframe of hours up to about a week. That makes the option describing hours to seven days the best fit, because it captures objectives that can be observed and assessed quickly—often within a single hospital stay or shift—and used to adjust the plan promptly. For example, a patient might aim to demonstrate proper use of an incentive spirometer within 24 hours or to reduce pain from 7/10 to 4/10 within 48 hours. Longer timeframes, like minutes (too brief for meaningful change) or weeks to months (more aligned with mid- to long-term outcomes, discharge planning, or chronic goals), do not match the immediacy of short-term targets.