What it means
Information that matters to the situation at hand. A "pertinent negative" is something important that is absent, such as "no chest pain" in a client with shortness of breath. In a handoff report, the nurse passes on the pertinent findings, not every detail.
Related terms
handoff report
The passing of information and responsibility for a client's care from one nurse or team to another.
subjective data
Information the client (or family) tells the nurse, which only the person can know and the nurse cannot measure.