Which term describes the course of action that should be taken every time a specific situation occurs?

• A. Outpatient Care
• B. Care Plan
• C. Procedure
• D. Policy

Answer: (D)

A policy is the standard rule or course of action that should be followed every time a specific situation occurs. It provides organization-wide guidance meant to be applied consistently, helping ensure safety, compliance, and predictable care across all staff and contexts. In this question, the description fits a policy because it describes what action should be taken again and again in the same scenario, not just a one-time task or a per-patient plan.

Outpatient care refers to where care takes place, not to a rule about actions. A care plan is tailored to an individual resident, outlining their personal goals and interventions. A procedure is a set of step-by-step instructions for performing a particular task, which is more about the how-to of one activity, not the overarching rule for recurrent situations.