Nursing Faculty Publications
Establishing the Competences of Clinical Reasoning for Nursing Students in Taiwan: From the Nurse Educators' Perspectives
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-2018
Journal Title
Nurse Education Today
Volume
66
First Page
110
Last Page
116
DOI
10.1016/J.NEDT.2018.04.007
Abstract
Background
Clinical reasoning is an essential core competence for nurses. Maintaining quality of care and safety of patients results from cultivation of student's clinical reasoning competency. However, the concept of clinical reasoning in nursing students is complex and its meaning and process needs further clarification.
Objectives
The objectives were to explore the meaning of clinical reasoning competency in Taiwanese nursing students and to operationalize the concept in order to structure a framework illustrating the process of clinical reasoning.
Setting and Participants
Thirteen seasoned nursing experts who had more than ten years of experience in nursing education or clinical practice participated in the interviews. The interviews were conducted in settings that the participants perceived as convenient, quiet and free of disturbance.
Methods
Semi-structured interviews were conducted. The interviews were audio-recorded and field notes were taken. The data were analyzed using Waltz et al.'s (2010) method of content analysis.
Results
The data revealed four domains and 11 competency indicators. The four domains include: awareness of clinical cues, confirmation of clinical problems, determination and implementation of actions, and evaluation and self-reflection. Each domain comprises of 2–4 indicators of clinical reasoning competency. In addition, this study established a framework for cultivation of clinical reasoning competency in nursing students.
Conclusion
The indicators of clinical reasoning competency in nursing students are interwoven, interactive and interdependent to form a dynamic process. The findings of this study may facilitate evaluation of nursing students' clinical reasoning competency and development of instruments to assess clinical reasoning in nursing students.
Keywords
Clinical reasoning, nursing competence, nurse educator, clinical cue
Recommended Citation
Huang, Hui-Man; Huang, Chu-Yu; Lee-Hsieh, Jane; and Chang, Su-Fen, "Establishing the Competences of Clinical Reasoning for Nursing Students in Taiwan: From the Nurse Educators' Perspectives" (2018). Nursing Faculty Publications. 73.
https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/nursing_publications/73
