Developing clinical decision-making skills in staff nurses; an educational program

Clinical decision-making (CDM) is central to professional nursing practice. Use of this process enhances the nurse's ability to assess patients, to identify problems, and to plan individualized care. The Nursing Department at the Toronto General Hospital recognized that in order for nurses to effectively plan individualized care for their patients, they first needed help to develop their CDM skills. In response, a hospital-wide educational program was designed and implemented. This article describes the program and highlights the factors found to be crucial to its success. General recommendations are outlined for those who wish to design similar CDM skill-developing programs.