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Clinical decision-making: theory and practice.
1Institute of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Brighton. n.muir@bton.ac.uk
Nursing Standard (Royal College of Nursing (Great Britain) : 1987)
|June 5, 2004
Summary
This article introduces clinical decision-making theories for nurses. It details the types of decisions nurses face and various decision-making approaches.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Practice
- Clinical Decision Making
Background:
- Nurses routinely encounter complex clinical situations requiring critical judgments.
- Effective clinical decision-making is fundamental to patient safety and quality care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an introductory overview of clinical decision-making theory relevant to nursing.
- To categorize the diverse types of decisions nurses must make.
- To outline various approaches applicable to nursing decision-making.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of clinical decision-making theories.
- Analysis of nursing practice scenarios to identify decision types.
- Synthesis of different decision-making models and strategies.
Main Results:
- Nurses engage in a spectrum of decisions, from diagnostic to ethical.
- Established theories offer frameworks for understanding the cognitive processes involved.
- Multiple approaches, including intuitive and analytical methods, are employed.
Conclusions:
- Understanding clinical decision-making theory enhances nursing practice.
- Awareness of decision types and approaches empowers nurses to make more informed choices.
- Further exploration of decision-making strategies can improve patient outcomes.