J Nurs Educ. 2014 Aug;53(8):453-8. doi: 10.3928/01484834-20140724-01. Epub 2014 Jul 24.

Systematic review of clinical judgment and reasoning in nursing.

The Journal of nursing education

Adriana Cappelletti, Joyce K Engel, Dawn Prentice

PMID: 25050560 DOI: 10.3928/01484834-20140724-01

Abstract

A systematic review was conducted to examine the findings on clinical judgment and reasoning in nursing that have emerged since Tanner's review in 2006. Electronic databases were searched to locate primary research studies about clinical judgment and reasoning in nursing. Fifteen studies were extracted and analyzed using the five main conclusions outlined by Tanner. The findings of the systematic review generally support Tanner's original model, although the role of experience in clinical reasoning and judgment is still not well understood or fully established. In recent literature, researchers have furthered their knowledge by using tools for improving these skills in both nursing students and practicing nurses, although no one strategy has been identified as being more effective. This is reflected in the consideration of a sixth conclusion on clinical judgment and reasoning in nursing-education strategies to improve clinical judgment may influence what a nurse brings to the situation.

Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

MeSH terms

• Clinical Competence*
• Humans
• Judgment*
• Nursing*
• Nursing Evaluation Research
• Thinking*

Publication Types

• Journal Article
• Review
• Systematic Review