title: An Integrative Literature Review of the Factors That Contribute to Professional Nurses and Midwives Making Sound Clinical Decisions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify available literature concerning the factors that contribute to nurses and midwives making sound clinical decisions.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is an integrative literature review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-eight articles revealed four main domains that influence nurses' and midwives' clinical decision making-nurses and midwives' personal characteristics (n = 30), e.g., clinical experience; organizational factors (n = 26), e.g., colleagues; patient characteristics (n = 26), e.g., physical and clinical status; and environmental factors (n = 9), e.g., time. These four domains of factors combined influence sound clinical decision making in the context of nursing and midwifery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Understanding the role of the factors influencing clinical decision making will help to improve patient and health outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further understanding about the extent of the impact some factors have on clinical decision making is needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing Science, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
authors.forename: Wilma
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ten Ham
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing Science, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
authors.forename: Esmeralda J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Ricks
authors.affiliation: School of Clinical Care Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
authors.forename: Dalena
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van Rooyen
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing Science, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
authors.forename: Portia J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Jordan
mesh_terms: D003657:Decision Making; D006801:Humans; D009721:Nurse Midwives / Q000523:psychology*; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Clinical decision making; integrative literature review; nursing