Experienced and Less‐Experienced Nurses Diagnostic Reasoning: Implications for Fostering Students' Critical Thinking

PURPOSE. To compare the use of mental representations (heuristics) in diagnostic reasoning of expert (≥5 years' experience) and novice (<5 years' experience) emergency nurses. METHODS. Clinical simulations were completed by a nationwide randomly selected sample of 173 experienced and 46 less‐experienced emergency nurses (N =229). FINDINGS. Experienced nurses used the heuristic, Judging by Causal Systems (diagnostic inferences deduced from systems of causal factors) significantly more did than less‐experienced nurses. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. Standardized nursing diagnoses may cut short the time needed to develop representational thinking and spare cognitive reserves for reasoning needed for complex patients. Faculty need to promote students' cognitive development through strategies that promote active, reflective, and integrative learning. Search terms: Clinical experience, diagnostic reasoning     

Diagnostic reasoning strategies of nurses and nursing students

This study described and compared the cognitive strategies of diagnostic reasoning used by junior nursing students (n = 15), senior nursing students (n = 13), and practicing nurses (n = 15). Verbal responses to three videotaped vignettes provided the data. Findings suggested that diagnostic reasoning processes of both nurses and nursing students can be described by a general model developed from studies of physicians. Subjects activated diagnostic hypotheses early in the encounter and used systematic information gathering to rule in and rule out hypotheses. With increased levels of knowledge and experience, there was a trend toward more systematic data acquisition and greater accuracy in diagnosis. The number of hypotheses activated, the earliness with which they were activated, and their diagnostic accuracy were task-specific components of the process, but selection of data-acquisition strategies appeared to be more generalizable across cases.     

抗击新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情临床一线支援护士心理体验的质性研究

目的:了解抗击新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情临床一线支援护士的心理体验,旨在为临床制订相应干预措施提供建议和依据。方法:于2020年1月25—27日对参与抗击新型冠状病毒肺炎临床一线支援的10名某三级甲等医院护士应用现象学研究方法进行半结构式访谈,并采用Giorgi现象学分析方法对访谈资料进行分析。结果:本研究临床一线支援护士心理体验可归纳为3个主题,分别为负性心理体验(恐惧、担忧和疲惫)、应对突发公共卫生事件能力不足(对疾病认知不足和应急救援护理技能不足)、对抗击疫情的理性认识(使命感和信心坚定)。结论:临床一线支援护士存在不同程度的负性心理体验,应对突发公共卫生事件能力不足,医院应加强对临床一线支援护士的心理援助和人文关怀,推进应急灾害救援护理培训,提升医院应急管理能力与水平,保障救援工作高效进行。     

Characteristics associated with unplanned extubations in a surgical intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND: Unplanned extubations can result in serious complications. OBJECTIVES: To determine characteristics of patients and nurses and risk factors that affect extubations. Methods A retrospective exploratory design was used. Ram-say Sedation Scale scores, need for reintubation, time between intubation and extubation, use of sedation and analgesia in the preceding 48 hours, and use of restraints were collected on 31 patients in a surgical intensive care unit who had unplanned extubations. For nurses, data collected included years' experience in nursing and as an intensive care nurse, professional credentials, and location at the time of extubation. RESULTS: All unplanned extubations were self-extubations; 15 required reintubation. Most patients had low levels of sedation in the hour preceding the extubation (mean Ramsay score, 2.42; SD, 1.06). Patients who needed reintubation had higher mean Ramsay scores (2.85; SD, 1.14) than patients who did not (2.00; SD, 0.86; P = .04). Ramsay scores correlated with need for reintubation (r=0.423; P=.03). Of the 31 patients, 27 (87%) were restrained at the time of extubation (chi2 = 17.06; df=1; P<.001). Among the nurses, 32.3% had less than 5 years' experience in nursing, and 51.6% had less than 5 years' experience in intensive care; 89% of extubations occurred when the nurse was away from the bedside. Sedative and analgesic doses in the 24 hours before extubation did not differ significantly from those in the 2 hours before extubation. CONCLUSIONS: Levels of sedation and use of restraints are associated with unplanned extubations and need for reintubation.     

Critical Clinical Events and Resilience Among Emergency Nurses in 3 Trauma Hospital-Based Emergency Departments: A Cross-Sectional Study

IntroductionEmergency nurses experience occupational stressors resulting from exposures to critical clinical events. The purpose of this study was to identify the critical clinical events for emergency nurses serving 3 patient populations (general, adult, pediatric) and whether the resilience of these nurses differed by the patient population served.MethodsThis study used a cross-sectional survey design. A total of 48 emergency nurses were recruited from 3 trauma hospital-based emergency departments (general, adult, pediatric). Clinical Events Questionnaire, Connor-Davidson Resilience scale, and an investigator-developed demographic questionnaire were used to collect data from respondents.ResultsAll respondents were female (n = 48, 100%), and most were White (n = 46, 96%). The average age of participants was 39.6 years, the average number of years as a registered nurse was 12.7 years, and the average number of years as an emergency nurse was 8.8 years. Clinical events considered most critical were providing care to a sexually abused child, experiencing the death of a coworker, and lack of responsiveness by a colleague during a serious situation. The least stress-provoking event was incidents with excessive media coverage. Nurses were less affected by the critical events they experienced more frequently at work. Nurses in the 3 trauma settings had high level of resilience, with no statistically significant differences between groups.DiscussionThe occupational stress from exposure to significant clinical events varied with the patient population served by emergency nurses. It is important that interventions be adopted to alleviate the effect of work-related stressors and promote the psychological health of emergency nurses.     

Emergency nurses’ Evidence-Based Practice attitudes,self-efficacy,knowledge, skills and behaviors before an educational intervention – Baseline of a Randomized Controlled Trial

BackgroundEmergency nurses are expected to follow recent research findings and ensure that their practice is based on evidence. Yet, during busy work-shifts in overcrowded emergency departments, evidence-based practice (EBP) is not always implemented.AimTo describe emergency nurses’ EBP attitudes, self-efficacy, knowledge, skills and behaviours at the baseline of a RCT.MethodsA baseline study as a part of a randomised, single-blind controlled multicentre intervention trial (RCT). The study population consisted of 300 emergency nurses employed in two university hospitals’ emergency departments in Finland. The total sample size (n = 80) was estimated using a simulation approach. The data were collected from voluntary emergency nurses by using four structured questionnaires.FindingsEmergency nurses’ EBP attitudes, self-efficacy, knowledge and skills were above the average level, and their EBP behaviour was below the average level when measured with the other of the two sum variables measuring behaviour. A significant correlation was found between age, years since graduation, the length of working experience in health care and EBP attitudes, behaviour, knowledge and self-efficacy. Younger emergency nurses who had recently graduated and had shorter work experience showed more positive attitudes towards EBP than older counterparts. No correlation was found between gender, educational background or prior exposure to EBP and EBP attitudes, self-efficacy, knowledge, skills or behaviours.ConclusionsThis study showed that to promote emergency nurses’ use of EBP in future, tailored educational interventions on EBP are needed. This would ensure implementation of EBP in daily clinical practice for quality and effective patient care.     

Clinical reasoning and its application to nursing: concepts and research studies

Clinical reasoning may be defined as "the process of applying knowledge and expertise to a clinical situation to develop a solution" [Carr, S., 2004. A framework for understanding clinical reasoning in community nursing. J. Clin. Nursing 13 (7), 850-857]. Several forms of reasoning exist each has its own merits and uses. Reasoning involves the processes of cognition or thinking and metacognition. In nursing, clinical reasoning skills are an expected component of expert and competent practise. Nurse research studies have identified concepts, processes and thinking strategies that might underpin the clinical reasoning used by pre-registration nurses and experienced nurses. Much of the available research on reasoning is based on the use of the think aloud approach. Although this is a useful method, it is dependent on ability to describe and verbalise the reasoning process. More nursing research is needed to explore the clinical reasoning process. Investment in teaching and learning methods is needed to enhance clinical reasoning skills in nurses.     

急诊医护人员和患者对男护士在急诊护理中认知程度的调查

目的调查医护人员和急诊患者对男性护士在急诊护理中的认知程度。方法采用自行设计的问卷调查,对我院急诊科87名医护人员和200例急诊患者就男性护士在急诊护理中的认知程度进行调查。结果医护人员对男性护士的认知程度高,不同文化程度的患者对男性护士的认知程度不同,文化程度越低对男性护士的认知程度越低。仅有5％的女性患者和18％的男性患者表示愿意选择男性护士服务。结论目前全社会对男性护士在急诊护理队伍中的作用和认知程度仍较低,应进一步加强宣传教育,充实急诊护理队伍,提高护理质量。     

186名急诊护士心肺复苏技能掌握情况分析及对策

目的了解急诊护士心肺复苏技能掌握情况,分析不规范操作的相关因素,为制定急诊科护士的管理培训措施提供依据。方法按统一标准对186名急诊护理人员进行考核,考核内容包括复苏体位、开放气道、简易呼吸器连接、简易呼吸器气囊挤压、EC固定手法、按压定位、按压移位、按压放松比例、按压时间、按压有效率共10个方面。结果急诊护士CPR技能整体掌握情况良好;不同职称护士开放气道有效率差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05),不同急诊工作年限护士在开放气道有效率、按压放松比例适当率、5组全部有效按压率比较差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论急诊护士CPR技能掌握情况总体良好,但不同职称和急诊工作年限仍是影响其CPR技能掌握情况的重要因素。护理管理者应注重急诊科护理人员的优化配置,针对不同的急诊科护理人员做CPR专项培训,提高急诊护理人员CPR急救技能,提升医院的急救水平。     

Facilitators and Barriers of the Triage Process based on Emergency Nurses’ Experience with the Korean Triage and Acuity Scale: A Qualitative Content Analysis

PurposeSince 2016, the Korean Triage and Acuity Scale (KTAS) algorithm has been applied to the triage process in the emergency departments (EDs) of Korea. This study aimed to investigate the facilitators of and barriers to a well-run triage function based on how Korean emergency nurses perceived the triage process and their experiences with it.MethodsData were collected using focus group interviews from June 2018 to January 2019. Twenty emergency nurses were divided into two junior and four senior groups based on their level of clinical experience. All interviews were recorded as they were spoken and transcribed. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.ResultsThe participants recognized the need for the KTAS algorithm to efficiently classify emergency patients and were working on it properly. According to the data, we extracted 4 themes and 20 subthemes. Four themes were as follows: (1) awareness about the necessity of triage, (2) facilitators to triage process, (3) barriers to triage process, and (4) suggestions for the establishment and development of triage.ConclusionFrom the findings of this study, various vulnerabilities of the triage process were identified, and solutions were suggested from the emergency nurses’ perspective. Educational, staffing, financial support, and periodic updates of the KTAS are needed to promote the triage process in the future.     

Creating a Sensory-Friendly Pediatric Emergency Department

IntroductionFor children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and sensory-processing disorder (SPD), an unexpected visit to the emergency department can be an overwhelming experience that creates intensifying behaviors and an unsafe clinical interaction for the child, nurses, and providers. Although resources exist to help nurses work with this specialized group, there are limited examples of the challenges and opportunities of modifying an emergency department to be a place where nurses can provide sensory-informed care.MethodsGuided by Watson’s Theory of Caring, nurses and child life specialists in our pediatric emergency department initiated a practice improvement (PI) project to create a sensory-friendly emergency department. The nurses (1) engaged with community members and families, (2) examined current practices, (3) modified the patient care environment, (4) collaborated in an interprofessional educational session, and (5) created a shared vision for the modified patient-care environment.ResultsThis article describes the nurse-initiated PI process and the journey to create an evidence-based sensory-friendly pediatric emergency department. A model is presented so that other facilities can embark on their own initiative, and case studies are used to evaluate project outcomes.DiscussionIntegrating current evidence, staff suggestions, community input, and expert advice allowed us to find creative solutions to the unique sensory needs of children who visit our emergency department. Modifying both the patient-care environment and the patient-flow process to accommodate for the needs of children with ASD/SPD created a more peaceful and healing environment for children and their families and gave nurses the support they needed to provide sensory-informed care.     

Clinical decision making and critical thinking in the nursing diagnostic process

The daily routine requires complex thinking processes of nurses, but clinical decision making and critical thinking are underestimated in nursing. A great demand for educational measures in clinical judgement related with the diagnostic process was found in nurses. The German literature hardly describes nursing diagnoses as clinical judgements about human reactions on health problems / life processes. Critical thinking is described as an intellectual, disciplined process of active conceptualisation, application and synthesis of information. It is gained through observation, experience, reflection and communication and leads thinking and action. Critical thinking influences the aspects of clinical decision making a) diagnostic judgement, b) therapeutic reasoning and c) ethical decision making. Human reactions are complex processes and in their course, human behavior is interpreted in the focus of health. Therefore, more attention should be given to the nursing diagnostic process. This article presents the theoretical framework of the paper "Clinical decision making: Fostering critical thinking in the nursing diagnostic process through case studies".     

Teaching clinical judgment in Taiwan

Clinical judgment is a process that nurses use during the course of their daily practice to gather and to evaluate data, define the needs of the clients, and to judge the outcome of patient care. Such judgment is also a critical ability used to assess the progress of nursing students. The purpose of this qualitative research was to describe the clinical judgment teaching in nursing education in Taiwan and provide baseline data for future nursing students to learn in a more effective way. Data was collected by in-depth individual interviews of 10 participants, all of whom were senior nursing faculty members from different nursing subspecialties. Two findings were reached. First, clinical judgment included not only the cognitive and the psychomotor domain of learning, but also the affective domain of reasoning. Second, due to cultural differences, " intuition " had never been mentioned in Taiwan, but a similar concept was substituted by use of the term " experience ". The findings suggested a holistic and integrative perspective was needed when teaching clinical judgement in Taiwan.     

情景模拟法在临床护理急救技能考核中的应用效果

目的研究情景模拟法在临床护理急救技能考核中的应用效果。方法选择60名低年资护士,将其按抽签分成观察组和对照组,每组各30名。观察组采用情景模拟考核法,对照组采用常规考核法。比较两组护士各项技能考核中的得分。结果观察组护士各个项目的考核得分均高于对照组护士,且在静脉通路的建立、除颤仪的使用、急救药品取用、加压呼吸气囊给氧、程序熟悉和措施得当、爱伤与沟通、团队协作评价等方面的差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。结论情景模拟考核法是全面提高临床护士思维品质、强化以人为本的服务理念、培养临床护士现场救护决策能力和综合急救意识的有效方法,是一套比较适应当前急救护理考核的新模式。     

Registered nurses' clinical reasoning in home healthcare clinical practice: A think-aloud study with protocol analysis

BackgroundThe home healthcare context can be unpredictable and complex, and requires registered nurses with a high level of clinical reasoning skills and professional autonomy. Thus, additional knowledge about registered nurses' clinical reasoning performance during patient home care is required.ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to describe the cognitive processes and thinking strategies used by recently graduated registered nurses while caring for patients in home healthcare clinical practice.DesignAn exploratory qualitative think-aloud design with protocol analysis was used.SettingsHome healthcare visits to patients with stroke, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in seven healthcare districts in southern Norway.ParticipantsA purposeful sample of eight registered nurses with one year of experience.MethodsEach nurse was interviewed using the concurrent think-aloud technique in three different patient home healthcare clinical practice visits. A total of 24 home healthcare visits occurred. Follow-up interviews were conducted with each participant. The think-aloud sessions were transcribed and analysed using three-step protocol analysis.ResultsRecently graduated registered nurses focused on both general nursing concepts and concepts specific to the domains required and tasks provided in home healthcare services as well as for different patient groups. Additionally, participants used several assertion types, cognitive processes, and thinking strategies.ConclusionsOur results showed that recently graduated registered nurses used both simple and complex cognitive processes involving both inductive and deductive reasoning. However, their reasoning was more reactive than proactive. The results may contribute to nursing practice in terms of developing effective nursing education programmes.     

Assessment and management of acute pain in the older person with cognitive impairment: A qualitative study

IntroductionOlder Australians experience health disparities in pain management compared to other groups. This article is focused on understanding the emergency nurses' perceptions of pain and pain management for older persons with cognitive impairment and presenting with a long bone fracture. This article is part of a larger study focusing on emergency nurses' pain management practices for older Australians with cognitive impairment.AimThe aim of the study was to understand emergency nurses' perceptions of the management of pain for older persons with cognitive impairment and presenting with a long bone fracture.MethodThis is part of a larger multicentre programme of research exploring pain management in older persons with cognitive impairment and who are experiencing pain from a long bone fracture. This study had a qualitative research design, with data collected through focus group interviews and a thematic method of analysis. The study is framed by a constructivist's paradigm, which enabled multiple realities to surface and be interpreted.ResultsEighty emergency nurses participated, with 67 (84%) females and 13 (16%) males, in 16 focus groups across four emergency departments. Nurses had an average of 12.5 years as a Registered Nurse (SD ± 10.06) and 8.6 years (SD ± 8.64) emergency experience. Five themes emerged from data analysis and included: 1) Belief in championing pain management; 2) Pain management and the ageing processes; 3) Lack of pain assessment tools for the cognitively impaired older person; 4) Delivering analgesia – a balancing act; and 5) Policy barriers to nurse initiated pain management.ConclusionThis study makes clear the challenges clinicians' face in managing pain in older patients presenting to emergency departments. More specifically, older persons with cognitive impairment face substantially greater obstacles in receiving effective pain relief given the lack of any standardised pain assessment screening tool within emergency departments. To improve pain management practices emergency clinicians need to test the utility of behavioural pain assessment tools for cognitively impaired older persons within the emergency context.     

心脑血管及急诊护士对急诊高血压知识的认知现状

目的了解心脑血管及急诊护士对急诊高血压的认知现状,并分析其影响因素。方法2019年2-3月,便利抽样法选取某三级甲等医院心脑血管及急诊的150名护士为研究对象,采用自制调查问卷对其一般资料、急诊高血压相关知识、接受培训意愿进行调查。结果护士急诊高血压认知现状总分为(63.27±12.92)分。不同年龄、本科室工作年限、现学历、职称、能级的护士,其对急诊高血压认知差异均有统计学意义(均P<0.05)。结论护士急诊高血压总体认知水平整体偏低,医院应尽快完善急诊高血压相关培训体系,以提高护士的认知水平。