Glossary
What Does Clinical Judgment Mean?
Clinical judgment is a cognitive process that healthcare professionals use to evaluate and analyze the information gathered from a patient's history, physical examination, and diagnostic tests to make informed decisions about the patient's care. It requires continuous monitoring, assessment, and reassessment of the patient's status, and it involves the ability to recognize patterns, prioritize information, and make decisions based on the best available evidence.
Clinical Judgment Process
Collection of data: The process of clinical judgment begins with the collection of data. This includes a thorough patient history, physical examination, and diagnostic tests.
Analyze data: Once the data is collected, the nurse uses critical thinking skills to interpret and analyze the information. This involves identifying patterns and relationships, making inferences, and drawing conclusions.
Formulate a plan of care: This involves setting priorities, establishing goals, and determining the appropriate interventions.
Implementation of the plan of care: This requires the nurse to use problem-solving skills to adapt the plan as needed, based on the patient's response to the interventions. The nurse must also be able to coordinate care with other healthcare professionals and to communicate effectively with the patient and family.
Evaluate the plan of care: This involves reassessing the patient's condition, monitoring the patient's response to the interventions, and adjusting the plan as necessary.
In conclusion, clinical judgment is a vital skill in the nursing profession. It is the process by which nurses collect, interpret, and analyze information to make informed decisions about patient care. It involves critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, and clinical reasoning.