NURS 213: critical thinking and clinical judgement

what is clinical judgement?

the ability to make timely decisions about when and how to act. the outcome of critical thinking. patient needs and clinical decisions

what is critical thinking?

involves applying your knowledge and experience to identify patient problems and direct clinical judgement

what are the essential thinking processes?

knowing as much as possible about each patient, reflecting on past experiences, adapting with the environment, using sound logical thinking

what is competence?

the ability to perform nursing skills correctly

what are the thinking errors to avoid?

bias, illogical thinking, lack of information, closed-mindedness, erroneous assumptions

what is bias?

prejudging situations based on personal beliefs rather than objective data

what is illogical thinking?

drawing conclusions that don't follow from the evidence

what is closed-mindedness?

refusing to consider alternative explanations or approaches

what are the prevention strategies for thinking errors?

ask questions before implementing patient care. actively listen to patients and their concerns. validate your assumptions with evidence. remain open to feedback and alternative perspectives