title: The decision making process in a district nursing assessment.
abstract: Assessment is a key element of district nursing practice and a cornerstone of community care. Yet very little research has been undertaken in this area. Given the current emphasis on evidence-based practice in health care, there is a need to ensure that district nurses, nursing students and educators can draw from an empirically derived and sound knowledge base. This article explores the relationship between knowledge and decision-making in district nursing assessment. It is based on a case study of one district nurse participant from a qualitative study of district nursing assessment. The case study material illustrates key findings from this study in order to examine the relationship between theoretical perspectives and everyday decision-making, based on the stages of decision-making identified by Carroll and Johnson (1990).
authors.affiliation: School of Acute and Continuing Care Nursing, Napier University, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: Catriona
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kennedy
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003463:Cues; D003657:Decision Making; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D020380:Needs Assessment; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009736:Nursing Process; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000523:psychology*; D009742:Nursing Theory; D011340:Problem Solving; D011637:Public Health Nursing / Q000379:methods*