Effect of teaching decision analysis on student nurses' clinical intervention decision making

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Clinical Decision-Making
• Health Professions Education

Background:

• Effective clinical decision-making is crucial for patient care.
• Nursing students require training in complex decision-making processes.
• Prioritizing interventions based on probabilities is a key nursing skill.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of decision analysis training on nursing students' ability to prioritize clinical interventions.
• To assess if decision analysis enhances clinical judgment in simulated scenarios.

Main Methods:

• A posttest experimental design was employed with 68 university nursing students.
• Students were randomly assigned to an experimental group (decision analysis) or a control group (non-decision analysis topic).
• Clinical case studies were used to assess decision-making accuracy and consistency.

Main Results:

• The experimental group demonstrated significantly higher accuracy in selecting expert-aligned clinical decisions (p < .0001).
• Decision analysis training led to more consistent clinical decision-making compared to the control group.
• Students receiving decision analysis instruction showed improved prioritization of interventions.

Conclusions:

• Decision analysis is an effective pedagogical tool for enhancing nursing students' clinical decision-making skills.
• Training in decision analysis improves the ability of nursing students to prioritize interventions based on probabilistic information.
• Educational interventions focused on decision analysis can positively impact nursing practice and patient outcomes.