Clinical inference by nursing students and experienced nurses concerning harmful outcomes occurring after medication...

Clinical inference is part of the clinical decision-making process and precedes judgment and action. It is an integrated response to patient cues and other evidence and a necessary skill for all nurses. The purpose of this study was to compare undergraduate and graduate nursing students' use of clinical inference in rating harmful outcomes for patients occurring after medication errors. The Medication Error Outcome Scale, a simulation methodology using medication error vignettes, was used to compare undergraduate and graduate students' use of clinical inference. Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance showed that there was a statistically significant difference (P = .04) among freshman, junior, senior, baccalaureate, and Master's students' use of clinical inference in regard to perceived harm occurring after a medication errors. Post hoc Mann-Whitney U tests indicated that senior and baccalaureate students' use of clinical inference differed significantly (P = .005). This study suggests that clinical experience shapes clinical inference.