Dimensions Of Nursing Practice
Dimensions of Nursing Practice: Developing Clinical Judgment
ANSWER 1
Clinical judgment is an indispensable skill for a nurse, acting as the cornerstone for effective and safe patient care (Connor et al., 2023). Reflecting on my critical thinking abilities are deeply rooted in my relentless pursuit of knowledge, genuine empathy for patients, and drive to learn and be in the profession continuously. When seeing myself as a nurse, certain qualities and behaviors I possess come to the fore. My strict and careful nature ensures that I observe and interpret clinical data correctly, while my empathy allows me to understand the patient’s needs and concerns truly. My commitment to evidence-based practice also ensures that my clinical decisions are well-informed and practical.
To foster better clinical judgment, there are three strategies I prioritize. Firstly, embracing continuous education and training ensures that my knowledge remains updated, allowing me to make informed decisions based on the latest evidence and best practices. Secondly, seeking mentorship and regularly cooperating with experienced nursing professionals offers a platform to gain insights from their wealth of experience and foster a culture of collaborative learning. Lastly, self-reflection and debriefing after clinical scenarios allow me to evaluate my decisions, understand areas of improvement, and grow from successful and otherwise experiences.
While I am confident in my abilities, it is crucial to recognize areas that may pose challenges in the future. The planning and evaluation stages might be the most challenging nursing process. Planning requires integrating patient data into cohesive care plans, and with the diverse range of patient cases and complexities, it can be daunting. Meanwhile, the evaluation phase involves constantly analyzing and adapting based on patient responses, which demands acute observation and flexibility (Connor et al., 2023). Given my current critical thinking and clinical judgment skills, I must invest more time and effort into these areas to ensure holistic and optimal patient care.
In nursing, clinical judgment stands as a beacon, guiding the intricate process of patient care. My inherent qualities and dedicated strategies lay a solid foundation for me. While certain areas of the nursing process may present challenges, recognizing these is the first step towards overcoming them. As I progress in my nursing journey, I am determined to continuously sharpen my critical thinking abilities, ensuring the delivery of compassionate, evidence-based care to every patient I serve.
ANSWER 2
Being a nurse requires a lot. Empathy, compassion, has followed through skills, problem solving and prioritizing. Each nurse may be stronger in one area than the next however; having these traits along with effective clinical judgment is important. When I see myself there’s a few strategies I’m working on that are prioritizing and problem solving. Healthcare is always evolving therefore staying knowledgeable on new studies is crucial. Also, problem solving is one of the biggest tasks of a nurse. Knowing what is important and what should be taken into account first makes patient care better. If I had to choose on a list of attributes for a nurse, empathy would definitely be first. You have to be able to place yourself in the shoes of others to fully be effective. Research has shown empathy and compassion to be associated with better adherence to medications, decreased malpractice cases, fewer mistakes, and increased patient satisfaction (Decety et al. 2015).
Reference:
Decety, J., & Fotopoulou, A. (2015). Why does empathy have a beneficial impact on others in medicine: unifying theories. Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience, 8, 457. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00457