title: Clinical decision-making processes in perioperative nursing.
abstract: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to reveal the processes of clinical decision making by expert perioperative nurses. Six nurses with a minimum of five years experience who considered themselves to be experts in OR nursing were asked to describe perioperative situations in which they had made a difference in patient outcomes. In every situation described, an intricate pattern of concern was present and associated with further assessments. The pattern was labeled Seeing the big picture: Engendered through caring. This study provides initial documentation to support how RNs make critical contributions to the quality of perioperative patient care.
authors.affiliation: Emory HealthCare/Crawford Long Hospital, Atlanta, USA.
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Minick
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Kee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D008297:Male; D008606:Mental Processes; D008875:Middle Aged; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology*; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D013527:Perioperative Nursing / Q000592:standards*; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D015144:Southeastern United States; D014110:Touch