Assisting Learners to Understand and Incorporate Functions of Clinical Judgment Into Nursing Practice

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Clinical Judgment Skills
• Healthcare Safety

Background:

• Mastering clinical judgment (CJ) is crucial for nurses across all healthcare settings.
• Complex healthcare environments and nursing practice intricacies pose risks to client safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an evidence-based resource for nurse educators to enhance clinical judgment (CJ) skills in nursing students.
• To address potential risks to client safety by improving CJ competencies.

Main Methods:

• A 2-year, 3-phased approach was employed.
• Phase 1: Survey results from nurses in education and practice.
• Phases 2 & 3: Discussion forums and think tanks with nurse educators.

Main Results:

• Development of the Guide for CJ, an evidence-based resource for educators.
• The Guide aligns environmental/individual factors and nurse behaviors with the NCSBN Action Model.
• Provides a framework to promote CJ skills in nursing students.

Conclusions:

• The Guide for CJ supports faculty development and operationalizes CJ.
• Educators can use the Guide to create diverse learning strategies.
• Applicable across multiple learning environments to enhance nursing practice.