Which example illustrates qualitative data?

• A. The patient describes nausea as "severe" and "unbearable."
• B. A heart rate of 78 beats per minute.
• C. The patient states "I feel fine."
• D. A blood pressure 120/80.

Answer: (A)

Qualitative data are descriptive, non-numeric information about a person’s experiences or symptoms. When the patient describes nausea using words like “severe” and “unbearable,” they’re conveying the intensity of the symptom without assigning a numeric value. That descriptive, language-based information is the hallmark of qualitative data. In contrast, numerical measurements like heart rate and blood pressure are quantitative data, and a statement like “I feel fine” is a subjective wellness note but doesn’t illuminate a specific symptom’s quality or severity as clearly as the descriptive terms in the chosen example.