Clinical Reasoning in Nursing

Introduction

Clinical reasoning with respect to literature refers to critical thinking, clinical judgment, decision-making or problem solving. Clinical reasoning is the process in which nurses and other clinicians have to collect that information and understand the patient situation, implement interventions, later evaluate the outcomes and at last reflect and learn about the process. It is important for nurses and other clinicians to know that clinical reasoning is entirely dependent on clinical disposition, which is influenced by preconceptions, attitude, perspective and the psychology of the person. However, clinical reasoning cannot be termed as a linear process, and thus conceptualized through ongoing clinical encounters and a series of links (Rodger, 2007).

Clinical reasoning is important because it has positive impacts on patient outcomes. Nurses and clinicians who do not have expertise in clinical reasoning cannot detect signs of patient health deterioration and therefore fail to rescue the health of the patient. Clinical reasoning has been one of the major patient complaints around the world because it has led to adverse patient outcomes. Some of the reasons that have contributed to poor patient outcomes all over the world is the failure to diagnose patients properly, inappropriate treatment institution and improper management of complications (Reinhart, 2002). All adverse outcomes relate to poor clinical reasoning skills. In that case, it is crucial for nurses and clinicians access more training on clinical reasoning in orders to improve the patient’s outcomes.

Nursing students could train on how to handle clinical scenarios effectively so that they can comprehensively understand the steps and processes of clinical reasoning. The students ought to learn and understand how cues affect and connect with the patient outcomes. However, clinical reasoning is a very different approach from other nursing procedures and therefore it is not involved in learning...