Interventions to develop clinical judgment among nurses: A systematic review with narrative synthesis

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Clinical Skills Development
• Healthcare Interventions

Background:

• Effective clinical judgment is crucial for nurses to manage patient care and prevent adverse events.
• Existing research on enhancing nurses' clinical judgment is limited and varied.
• This study addresses the need for synthesized evidence on effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and synthesize findings on interventions designed to improve nurses' clinical judgment.
• To identify effective strategies and frameworks for developing clinical judgment in nursing practice.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review with narrative synthesis was conducted.
• Searched eight major databases for studies published up to May 2024.
• Included 13 studies, assessed quality using Joanna Briggs Institute and Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool.

Main Results:

• Simulation emerged as the most common intervention type.
• Tanner's clinical judgment model and Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric were frequently used.
• Eleven of the 13 analyzed interventions demonstrated effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• Simulation-based teaching, utilizing Tanner's model and Lasater's rubric, effectively enhances nurses' clinical judgment.
• A significant gap exists in research on interventions for general registered nurses' clinical judgment development.