Evaluation of the Outcome-Present State Test Model as a way to teach clinical reasoning.
The Outcome-Present State Test (OPT) Model of Clinical Reasoning is a nursing process model designed to help students develop clinical reasoning skills. Although many nurse educators are using the OPT model as a teaching strategy, few are formally evaluating its use as a method. We used the OPT model as a teaching tool in an undergraduate psychiatric and mental health clinical nursing course and evaluated how quickly students became adept at using it. Most students mastered the use of the model; 29 of 43 students achieved the criterion score (a score greater than 65 on 3 or more models completed over 4 weeks). Not only did the students gain clinical reasoning skills, but they also used and learned more about the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association, Nursing Interventions Classification, and Nursing Outcomes Classification languages. Recommendations for future use of the model include adding client strengths and increasing focus on the quality of students' responses.
Bartlett
Robin
R
Hickory Outreach Program School of Nursing, 421 Moore Building, PO Box 26170, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27402-6170, USA. robin_bartlett@uncg.edu
Bland
Ann
A
Rossen
Eileen
E
Kautz
Donald
D
Benfield
Susan
S
Carnevale
Teresa
T