[Decision making in nursing. A literature review of the manner in which nurses make a diagnosis]

In clinical practice professional nurses appear to make different judgments regarding particular nursing situations. Assuming that it is desirable that nurses, confronted with the same situation, make the same decisions, it is important to gain insight into the way decisions are made. The purpose of this literature review is to summarize what is already known about decision-making in nursing. It appears that most of the texts on decision-making in nursing are based on a general model on decision-making: the information-processing model. Factors influencing decision-making processes are discussed. Finally, an overview is given of research on decision-making in nursing.