A nurse manager is planning to teach staff about critical pathways. Which of the following information should the nurse plan to include?

A. Critical pathways have an unlimited timeframe for completion: Critical pathways are designed with specific timelines to standardize care and ensure timely achievement of outcomes, so they do not have unlimited timeframes. B. Nurses should discontinue the critical pathway if variances occur: Variances are documented and addressed, not a reason to discontinue the pathway. They help track deviations and guide individualized care adjustments. C. Nurses' notes are used to create the critical pathway: Critical pathways are developed from evidence-based guidelines and clinical expertise, not directly from nurses' notes, though documentation helps evaluate their effectiveness. D. Critical pathways should reduce health care costs: By standardizing care, minimizing delays, and improving efficiency, critical pathways aim to reduce unnecessary interventions and overall health care costs.