Fundamentals of Nursing Chapter 15: Clinical Judgment

Clinical Judgment in Nursing Practice

• Nurses must make accurate and appropriate clinical decisions or judgments, which is the observed outcome of critical thinking and decision making.
• Clinical decision making separates professional nurses from technicians or other assistive personnel.

Models for Clinical Judgment

• A model for clinical judgment explains the many variables involved in making decisions and clinical judgments about patients.
• Models help to clarify complex concepts in nursing, such as critical thinking.

Critical Thinking

• Critical thinking is the ability to think in a systematic and logical manner with openness to question and reflect on the reasoning process.
• The aim of critical thinking is to focus on the important issues in any clinical situation and make decisions that produce desired patient outcomes.

Critical Thinking Competencies

• General critical thinking competencies include:
  • Scientific method
  • Problem solving
  • Decision making
• Specific critical thinking competencies include:
  • Diagnostic reasoning
  • Clinical decision making

Levels of Critical Thinking

• There are three levels of critical thinking:
  • Basic critical thinking
  • Complex critical thinking
  • Commitment

Components of Critical Thinking in the Clinical Judgment Model

• The components of critical thinking in the clinical judgment model include:
  • Competence
  • Knowledge base
  • Experience
  • Environment

Critical Thinking Attitudes

• Critical thinking attitudes include:
  • Confidence
  • Perseverance
  • Thinking independently
  • Fairness
  • Responsibility and accountability
  • Humility and self-awareness
  • Risk taking
  • Discipline
  • Creativity
  • Curiosity

Evaluation of Clinical Judgments

• Evaluation of clinical judgments involves:
  • Reflection
  • Meeting with colleagues
  • Concept mapping
  • Critical thinking synthesis

Clinical Judgment in Nursing Practice

• Nurses must make accurate and appropriate clinical decisions or judgments.
• Clinical judgment is the observed outcome of critical thinking and decision making.
• Clinical decision making separates professional nurses from technicians or other assistive personnel (AP).

Models for Clinical Judgment

• Models help to explain complex concepts in nursing.
• A model explains the many variables involved in making decisions and clinical judgments about patients.

Critical Thinking

• Critical thinking is the ability to think in a systematic and logical manner with openness to question and reflect on the reasoning process.
• The aim of critical thinking is to focus on the important issues in any clinical situation and make decisions that produce desired patient outcomes.

Critical Thinking Competencies

• General critical thinking competencies include: • Scientific method • Problem solving • Decision making
• Specific critical thinking competencies include: • Diagnostic reasoning • Clinical decision making

Levels of Critical Thinking

• There are three levels of critical thinking: • Basic critical thinking • Complex critical thinking • Commitment

Components of Critical Thinking in the Clinical Judgment Model

• The components of critical thinking in the clinical judgment model include: • Competence • Knowledge base • Experience • Environment

Critical Thinking Attitudes

• Critical thinking attitudes include: • Confidence • Perseverance • Thinking independently • Creativity • Curiosity • Fairness • Responsibility and accountability • Humility and self-awareness • Risk taking • Discipline

Evaluation of Clinical Judgments

• Methods for evaluating clinical judgments include: • Reflection • Meeting with colleagues • Concept mapping • Critical thinking synthesis

This quiz covers critical thinking and clinical judgment in nursing practice, focusing on nurses' ability to make accurate and appropriate clinical decisions. It's based on Chapter 15 of the 11th Edition of Fundamentals of Nursing.