Path model on decision-making ability of clinical nurses

Area of Science:

• Nursing Science
• Healthcare Management
• Decision Science

Background:

• Clinical nurses constantly make critical decisions in demanding healthcare environments.
• Effective decision-making is integral to providing quality patient care and nursing interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors influencing clinical nurses' decision-making ability in South Korean hospitals.
• To develop and validate a predictive model for nursing decision-making.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional descriptive design with relation prediction modeling, adhering to STROBE guidelines.
• Path analysis used to test a model based on information processing theory with 274 clinical nurses.
• Data collected from March to May 2017 and analyzed using SPSS and AMOS.

Main Results:

• The proposed model demonstrated good fit indices (e.g., GFI=.972, CFI=.981, RMSEA=.068).
• Analytic-systematic decision-making type showed the strongest direct effect on decision-making ability.
• Critical thinking disposition also significantly influenced decision-making ability, both directly and indirectly.

Conclusions:

• Clinical nurses' decision-making ability is primarily shaped by analytic-systematic decision-making and critical thinking disposition.
• Enhancing these attributes is crucial for improving nursing decision-making in hospital settings.