If a patient's chart indicates that a urine sample was collected at 1600, what does this mean?

The notation "1600" uses a 24-hour clock system commonly utilized in medical settings to avoid confusion between AM and PM times. In this system, the hours are counted from 0 to 23, with 1600 representing 4 PM.

When you convert the 24-hour time to a 12-hour format, you simply subtract 12 from any hour greater than 12, which, in this case, confirms that 1600 equates to 4 PM.

This understanding is critical not only for accurate documentation in patient records but also in providing care, as timing can be essential in medication administration and other clinical procedures. The other options, such as 8 AM, 12 PM, and 6 PM, do not match the conversion of 1600 to the 12-hour clock format.