A patient's vision is recorded as 20/30 when the Snellen eye chart is used. How does the nurse interpret these results?

Snellen visual acuity is a measure of central vision and refractive accuracy. The numerator represents the fixed distance (20 feet) between the patient and the chart. The denominator indicates the distance at which a standard emmetropic eye could read that same line. Higher denominators represent a decrease in visual resolution at distance. A. The patient can read the entire chart at 30 feet: Snellen results describe specific line resolution, not the ability to read the "entire chart." Additionally, the test is standardized at 20 feet; the denominator refers to the distance of a "normal" eye, not the patient's distance. B. The patient can read the chart from 20 feet in the left eye and 30 feet in the right eye: Visual acuity is recorded for each eye individually (e.g., OD 20/30, OS 20/30). The numbers in a single 20/30 recording do not represent different distances for different eyes. C. The patient can read from 20 feet what a person with normal vision can read from 10 feet: A 20/10 result would mean the patient has superior-than-normal vision. In 20/30 vision, the patient’s sight is worse than normal, as they must be closer (20 feet) to see what others see from farther away (30 feet). D. The patient can read at 20 feet what a person with normal vision can read at 30 feet: This is the correct interpretation. The patient sees at 20 feet what a "normal" eye can see clearly from a distance of 30 feet. This indicates a mild deficit in distance visual acuity.