title: Registered nurses' clinical reasoning abilities: a study of self perception.
abstract: Effective clinical reasoning by nurses is an essential component of nursing practice. The purpose of this study was to gain increased awareness and insight into registered nurses' perception of their clinical reasoning ability. A convenience sample of post-registration nursing students (n = 520) who enrolled in a Bachelor of Nursing program from 1993 to 1996 participated in the study. Perceptions of clinical reasoning abilities were assessed using the Jenkins' Clinical Decision Making in Nursing Scale (CDMNS). Analysis of CDMNS total scores indicated these students entered the program with positive perceptions of how they go about making clinical decisions. Measurement of aspects of these perceptions in relation to searching for alternatives (Subscale A), canvassing objectives (Subscale B) and evaluating consequences (Subscale C) indicated moderately positive perceptions of clinical reasoning abilities. However, highly positive perceptions were evident for assimilating new information (Subscale D). These results indicate some dissonance between the perceived abilities and the actual abilities reported in clinical reasoning literature and frequently observed in practice.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nursing, University of Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Byrnes
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: West
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D003657:Decision Making; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate; D004518:Education, Professional, Retraining; D006801:Humans; D008128:Logic; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009736:Nursing Process; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology*; D012647:Self-Assessment; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires