NUR 155
EXAM 1 STUDY GUIDE
Foundations of Nursing
Galen College of Nursing
,
, NUR 155 Unit 1 (17-18 questions): Clinical
Judgement/Nursing Process/Health History and Physical
Assessment
Clinical Judgment
● A complex concept that involves the ability to observe, think, prioritize, plan, act, and
evaluate.
○ What you need to do first, walk into the room and observe
● The outcome of critical thinking and decision-making
○ Critical thinking- application of knowledge and experience to identify patient
problems and to direct clinical judgments and actions that result in positive
patient outcomes.
■ Thinking in action and on your feet it can affect the outcome
○ Clinical reasoning is the ability to focus and filter clinical data to recognize what is
most and least important, so the nurse can identify if an actual problem is
present.
■ What can you do about it?
■ Recognizing what is most important to identify the problems
● National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) Clinical judgment
○ Recognize cues (Assessment)
○ Analyze cues (Diagnosis)
○ Prioritize hypotheses (Planning)
○ Generate solutions (Planning)
○ Take actions (Implementation)
○ Evaluate outcomes (Evaluation)
● Attributes Required for Successful Clinical Judgment
○ Strong knowledge base and proficient technical skills
○ Early problem recognition - Suspect something that is going on
○ Effective communication and trusting nurse-patient relationships
○ Previous experience, confidence, and intuition
○ Reflection- is the process of deliberately thinking about an experience to consider
both positive aspects and potential for change
● Environmental Factors that Influence Clinical Judgment Skills
○ Task complexity
■ When the nurse observes multiple cues simultaneously, the ability to
identify which cues are accurate, which are irrelevant in the current
situation, and what is a positive or negative cue can be challenged
○ Interruptions
○ Time pressures - trying to get everything time done on a time crunch
○ Specialty area and autonomy
Strategies to develop strong clinical judgment skills
● Clinical and unfolding case studies
● Literature review
EXAM 1 STUDY GUIDE
Foundations of Nursing
Galen College of Nursing
,
, NUR 155 Unit 1 (17-18 questions): Clinical
Judgement/Nursing Process/Health History and Physical
Assessment
Clinical Judgment
● A complex concept that involves the ability to observe, think, prioritize, plan, act, and
evaluate.
○ What you need to do first, walk into the room and observe
● The outcome of critical thinking and decision-making
○ Critical thinking- application of knowledge and experience to identify patient
problems and to direct clinical judgments and actions that result in positive
patient outcomes.
■ Thinking in action and on your feet it can affect the outcome
○ Clinical reasoning is the ability to focus and filter clinical data to recognize what is
most and least important, so the nurse can identify if an actual problem is
present.
■ What can you do about it?
■ Recognizing what is most important to identify the problems
● National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) Clinical judgment
○ Recognize cues (Assessment)
○ Analyze cues (Diagnosis)
○ Prioritize hypotheses (Planning)
○ Generate solutions (Planning)
○ Take actions (Implementation)
○ Evaluate outcomes (Evaluation)
● Attributes Required for Successful Clinical Judgment
○ Strong knowledge base and proficient technical skills
○ Early problem recognition - Suspect something that is going on
○ Effective communication and trusting nurse-patient relationships
○ Previous experience, confidence, and intuition
○ Reflection- is the process of deliberately thinking about an experience to consider
both positive aspects and potential for change
● Environmental Factors that Influence Clinical Judgment Skills
○ Task complexity
■ When the nurse observes multiple cues simultaneously, the ability to
identify which cues are accurate, which are irrelevant in the current
situation, and what is a positive or negative cue can be challenged
○ Interruptions
○ Time pressures - trying to get everything time done on a time crunch
○ Specialty area and autonomy
Strategies to develop strong clinical judgment skills
● Clinical and unfolding case studies
● Literature review
