Cue recognition by undergraduate nursing students: an integrative review

Patients express multiple cues, ranging from subtle to overt. Clinical cues may signal changes or the presence of stability in the patient's condition. Little is known about the number and types of cues recognized by beginning nurses. This article reports the results of an integrative review of the literature published between 1964 and 2013 concerning recognition of clinical cues by undergraduate nursing students. Search terms included cue, cue recognition, clinical cue, and clinical reasoning. Twenty-seven studies met inclusion criteria. Initial evidence exists of differences in cue recognition between novice and expert nurses. Influences on cue recognition include familiarity with the patient or the patient's health condition. Cue recognition does not necessarily predict presence or quality of nursing actions. International research concerning cue recognition by nurses is in its infancy. Opportunities exist to further the science through use of rigorous design and multisite sampling.