Patient assessment skills: assessing early cues of necrotizing enterocolitis

A study is presented utilizing the critical decision method to elicit knowledge from neonatal intensive care unit nurses regarding the assessment of infants at risk for necrotizing enterocolitis. Researchers were successful in eliciting knowledge not available in current nursing texts, including a framework for considering necrotizing enterocolitis and problem-solving strategies used by experienced nurses. Implications for nurse instruction and potential applications of this information are discussed.