Which statement best distinguishes a policy from a procedure?

• A. A policy is a course of action that should be taken and a procedure is a method of doing something (what, when, how)
• B. A policy is a budgeting guideline and a procedure is a staffing plan
• C. A policy is a daily checklist and a procedure is a weekly report
• D. A policy is a resident’s personal choice and a procedure is a physician’s order

Answer: (A)

Policies set what should be done in general across the organization, while procedures spell out the exact steps to carry out those policies. A policy provides the overarching rule or course of action, guiding decisions and actions. A procedure translates that rule into concrete steps—what to do, when to do it, and how to do it, including who performs each step and what tools or forms are used. That alignment is why describing a policy as a course of action that should be taken and a procedure as a method of doing something (what, when, how) is the best fit. For example, a policy might state that residents must have a fall-risk assessment, and the procedure would detail the step-by-step process to perform the assessment, document findings, and escalate as needed. The other options don’t capture this relationship: budgeting guidelines versus staffing plans aren’t about policy versus procedure in action; a daily checklist versus a weekly report describes documents, not the policy/procedure distinction; and a resident’s personal choice versus a physician’s order involves autonomy and medical orders, not how policies and procedures differ.