Nursing 1080A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Decision-Making, Analytic Reasoning
6 Jun 2016
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The concept of clinical judgment refers to interpretations and inferences that influence actions in clinical practice. Definitions of judgment: the process of forming an opinion or evaluation by comparing or discerning, capacity for judging, discernment, or the exercise of this capacity, inference, interpretation, and/or decision about the patient situation. Clinical reasoning is the thinking process by which a nurses reaches clinical judgment. Decision making from this perspective involves selection from options of mutually exclusive possibilities, implying that there is one right decision. This approach usually involves the use of algorithms, decision trees, and guidelines. These tools provide clear cut guidance that may standardize approaches to patient care. Don"t use this approach alone: they may be useful beginning points. There are often no clear cut answers about nursing care. Account for what the nurse personally contributes to the caring encounter, including previous experiences, values, and emotions.
