Clinical Reasoning Profiles in Nursing Students: Associations With Academic Performance, Encouragement for Questioning, and Access to Relevant Literature

Understanding the variability in students' clinical reasoning competence and the influencing factors is essential for developing personalized educational strategies.

To identify distinct clinical reasoning profiles among undergraduate nursing students based on their clinical reasoning levels and determine the factors associated with membership in these identified clinical reasoning profiles.

A cross-sectional survey design was used. A total of 950 students completed the evaluation of clinical reasoning competence. Latent profile analysis was conducted to identify distinct subgroups. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors influencing subgroup membership.

Three distinct subtypes of clinical reasoning competence were identified: low clinical reasoning, medium clinical reasoning, and high clinical reasoning. Academic performance, frequency of reading health care literature, and degree to which teachers encourage students to ask questions significantly influence the development of clinical reasoning competence.

This study suggests educators should prioritize academic support, encouragement for questioning, and access to relevant literature to enhance clinical reasoning skills.