title: Knowing the patient: a process model for individualized interventions.
abstract: A grounded theory method was used to study nurses' clinical decision making. Field notes, in-depth interviews, and documents were analyzed. The beginning process model contained the core concept, knowing the patient, a purposeful action whereby the nurse uses understanding of the patient's experiences, behaviors, feelings, and/or perceptions to select individualized interventions. Familiarity and intimacy were the properties of the core process; the patient-nurse interaction was the context. Three conditions included time, the nurse's experience, and other nurses' input. Four strategies facilitated the core process: empathizing, matching a pattern, developing a bigger picture, and balancing preferences with difficulties. Different strategies were used, as time and familiarity with the patient varied.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, College of Health Professions, University of Massachusetts at Lowell, USA.
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Radwin
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016294:Models, Nursing; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009736:Nursing Process; D009742:Nursing Theory; D013997:Time Factors