Clinical Decision Making Ability of Nursing Students in a Tertiary Hospital
Clinical Decision Making Ability of Nursing Students
Vol. 8 No. 2 : 2013 (73-80)
Abstract
Decision making in nursing is one of the most important skills nurses must apply and utilize in their nursing practice. The aim of this study was to determine the perception of clinical decision making ability among nursing students. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary hospital. A total of 54 nursing students were recruited using a modified version of Clinical Decision Making in Nursing Scale (CDMNS) adapted from Jenkins (1985). The findings showed good CDMNS score with mean and standard deviation of (124.24±12.713). The four sub-scales of CDMNS were: searching for alternative (33.24±4.821), canvassing (28.74±3.514), evaluation and re-evaluation (31.43±3.922), searching for information (30.83±4.765). Nineteen (35%) of the participants chose nursing as their first choice, whereas 35 participants (65%) did not. Thirthy seven (69%) participants were satisfied with their nursing competency, 17 (31%) were unsatisfied. There were significant differences between searching for alternatives, evaluation and re-evaluation, and nursing as their first choice (p=<0.05). There were also significant differences between searching for alternatives and satisfaction with nursing competency (p=<0.05). There was significant difference between education level and searching for alternatives and information (p=<0.05). The nursing students possessed adequate clinical decision making ability. Although most of the nursing students did not choose nursing as their first choice, they sought for alternatives and evaluated-reevaluated during their decision making process. Nursing students’ satisfaction also contributed to appropriate clinical decision making in the critical care setting.
Keywords :
decision,
making,
nursing,
student,
Correspondance Address
Assoc Prof. Ho Siew Eng, Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, 56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tel: +603-91456250 Fax: +603-91456683 Email: angieho88@gmail.com / ho@ppukm.ukm.edu.my
References
Aitken, L.M., Marshall, A.P., Elliott, R., McKinley, S. 2009. Critical care nurses’ decision making: sedation assessment and management in intensive care. J Clin Nurs 18(1): 36-45.
Björkström, M.E., Athlin, E.E., Johansson, I.S. 2008. Nurses’ development of professional self--from being a nursing student in a baccalaureate programme to an experienced nurse. J Clin Nurs 17(10): 1380-91.
Bucknall, T. 2003. The clinical landscape of critical care: Nurses’ decision making. J Adv Nurs 43(3): 310-19.
Caldwell, L.M., Tenofsky, L.M., Nugent, E. 2010. Academic and clinical immersion in an accelerated nursing program to foster learning in the adult student. Nurs Educ Perspect 31(5): 294-7.
del Bueno, D. 2005. A crisis in critical thinking. Nurs Educ Perspect 26(5): 278-82.
Gordon, C.J., Frotjold, A., Fethney, J., Green, J., Hardy, J., Maw, M., Buckley, T. 2013. The effectiveness of simulation-based blood pressure training in preregistration nursing students. Simul Healthc 8(5): 335-40.
Horton, C.D., DePaoli, S., Hertach, M., Bower, M. 2012. Enhancing the effectiveness of nurse preceptors. J Nurses Staff Dev 28(4): E1-7.
Jenkins, H. M. 1985. Improving clinical decision making in nursing. J Nurs Educ 24(6): 242-3.
Koehler, C. J. 2004. Nursing process mapping replaces nursing care plans. In Fuszard’s innovative teaching strategies in nursing (3rd ed.). Edited by A. J. Lowenstein, & M. J. Bradshaw. Sudbury: Jones and Bartlett; 303-13.
Smith, A., Lollar, J., Mendenhall, J., Brown, H., Johnson, P., Roberts, S. 2013. Use of multiple pedagogies to promote confidence in triage decision making: A pilot study. J Emerg Nurs 39(6): 660-6.
Standing, M. 2007. Clinical decision-making skills on the developmental journey from student to Registered Nurse: A longitudinal injury. J Adv Nurs 60(3): 257-69.
Wiles, L.L., Simko, L.C., Schoessler, M. 2013. What do I do now?: clinical decision making by new graduates. J Nurses Prof Dev 29(4): 167-72.
