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Discussion

I need to survey a few nurses!

I need to survey a few nurses on how they make clinical decisions for an assignment for school. If some of you could help me that would be

great ! The questions are:

  1. Describe the process you use to make clinical decisions.
  2. What sources of information do you use to make those decisions?
  3. Do you ever use your own intuition and, if so, when and how do you feel it impacts the decision you made.

Thanks:)

Featured Replies

1. To make clinical decisions I look at subjective and objective data and apply it to the nursing process.

2. I utilize date that I can see, like how the patient looks, what is their vital signs, their lab values, I&O's etc... objective data. I utilize subjective data as well, what is the patient telling me, does it jive with my objective data, what was the opinion of the previous nurse, what did the doctor write in his/her note, what new orders have been given.

3. I absolutely utilize my own intuition - I have cultivate a keen eye for potential problems over the years and I have learned not to ignore the "little voice" in my head. My intuition only enhances my other data.

  • Author

thanks you babs0512 for the response :wink2:!

I first look at the objective data(i.e. temperature, blood pressure, oxygen %), then I look at the patient to determine what I can do. If the temperature is high, is the heat on? do they have 12 blankets? have they been high all day? Do I have tylenol to give them? Do they need a compress? etc.

I use enviromental cues, drug books, other nurses, and even the internet.

Yes, all the time. It impacts my decsion when I figure out what type of pain med a patient needs, if I need to call a doctor, or when I need to ask a coworker that "hey, I don't know what else to do."

  • Expert

  1. describe the process you use to make clinical decisions.
    • the more i've thought about this, the more i've come to realize that it is the nursing process that i use. i try to collect as much information about the problem at hand in the amount of time i have available to me. if there is something about the data i am unfamiliar with and i have time, i will go to a reference book or consult with someone who can contribute the information. the more information i can get, the easier i am going to feel about my decision unless it is something i've dealt with many times before and feel very confident about.

[*]what sources of information do you use to make those decisions?

  • the patient, patient's chart, other colleagues, reference material

[*]do you ever use your own intuition and, if so, when and how do you feel it impacts the decision you made.

  • objective data is objective data. you can't and shouldn't assume anything based on your intuition. sometimes what i've felt was my intuition was actually my brain reminding me that i had forgotten something i should have remembered to do.

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