Perceptions of senior nursing students regarding clinical decision-making

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Clinical Decision-Making

Background:

• Undergraduate nursing education aims to equip students with essential clinical decision-making skills.
• Assessing student perceptions of skill acquisition is vital for curriculum refinement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore senior nursing students' perceptions of clinical decision-making skills acquired during their undergraduate training.
• To identify key skills and influencing factors in nursing students' clinical judgment.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive study design.
• Focus group discussion with eight senior undergraduate nursing students.
• Content analysis of data using twebQDA® software.

Main Results:

• Noticing and interpreting were identified as the most influential dimensions in clinical decision-making, based on Tanner's model.
• Key skills include theoretical and clinical knowledge integration, care plan validation, prioritization, and critical discussion.
• Students utilize a complex process, integrating learned knowledge and skills for decision-making.

Conclusions:

• Senior nursing students perceive their training as instrumental in developing clinical decision-making capabilities.
• The study highlights the importance of foundational knowledge and specific skills in nursing practice.
• Effective clinical decision-making is a complex, learned process crucial for nursing students.