Clinical Judgment in Nursing

Study Notes

Learning Objectives: Describe how clinical judgment guides decision-making during the nursing process, and identify strategies for collecting valid assessment data.
Clinical Judgement and Nursing Process:
- Steps in clinical judgment process: subjective and objective data, generate solutions, interventions
- Importance of patient-centered care
- Nursing process steps: assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, evaluation
Data Collection:
- Methods of data collection by nurses
- Validating data collection methods
Prioritizing Nursing Care:
- Prioritizing patient care based on needs
- Identifying patients needing immediate attention
- Prioritization of nursing interventions
Planning Patient Care:
- Methods of patient care planning
- Use of clinical care plans, critical pathways, clinical judgment models to guide the development of nursing care plans
- Specific assessments and interventions for patient plans
Evaluating Nursing Interventions:
- Methods for evaluating intervention effectiveness
- Actions if interventions are not effective
- Determining if the patient understands instructions

Learning Objectives: Differentiate between the body's natural defenses, identify factors increasing infection risk, and compare types of infections.
Body's Natural Defenses:
- Components of the body's three primary defenses against infection
- Different types of immunity
Infection Risk Factors:
- Factors increasing risk for infection development
Infection Stages:
- Five stages of infection
- Description of what happens in each infection stage
Types of Infections:
- Comparing localized and systemic infections
Infection Classifications:
- Different classifications of infection types
Chain of Infection:
- Six links in the chain of infection
- Nursing interventions to prevent infection spread
Infection Control Techniques:
- Standard Precautions and Transmission-Based Precautions
- Medical and Surgical Asepsis
- Practicing medical and surgical asepsis
- Identifying compromised sterility.
- Emerging pathogens, infectious diseases, nurse's role
Signs and Symptoms of Infections
- Differentiating between signs and symptoms of localized vs systemic infections
Medical Math:
- Dosage calculation study guide (additional information).