Clinical Decision-Making

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Decision-making is the scientific inquiry, which was first established in the early 1950s by (Edwards, 1954) and (Hammond, 1955). According to (Thomas et al 2001) decision making is a broad term, which applies the process of making a choice between options as to a course of action. Clinical decision making by health professionals is a more difficult process, requiring more of parties than making defined choices between limited options. Nurses make critical clinical decisions every day and these decisions give an effect on the patient’s health care, quality and also the actions of the healthcare providers. The Nursing and Midwifery Council clearly have identified the professional responsibility in the Code of Professional Conduct (NMC 2002), …show more content…

Other key causes of errors identified in decision-making are (Scott 2000, Thompson 2002a). Psychiatric nurses are also increasingly involved in the decision making process to detain, assess or treat patients compulsorily (Clark & Bowers 2000) In England and Wales, for example, nurses are responsible for the care and control of detained patients as well as the administration of medications (DOH 1996). Since 1983, psychiatric nurses have been allowed to detain patients for up to six hours by making their own judgments using specified criteria under Section 5(4) of the Mental Health Act …show more content…

Analytical models assume that the clinical decision maker’s thought processes follow rational logic that can be studied until a decision has been made. During the process of making the decision, the experience of the clinical decision maker and the ability to recognize situations that impinge on the decision making process are also key components of this analytical model (Klein, 1989, Klein & Calderwood, 1991). O’Neill clinical decision-making model is a multi-dimensional model that was developed from the synthesis of findings from research studies in graduate students (O’Neill, 1999, O’Neill et al., 2004), qualified nurses (O’Neill, 1997) and from the novice to expert clinical reasoning model (O’Neill & Dluhy, 1997). The model is based on a computerized decision support system that utilizes both hypothetical-deduction and pattern recognition as a basis of decision making. The benefits of each model is absorbed and used to develop a decision support model. The central features of the model include investigating pre-encounter data, anticipating and controlling risk, the provision of standard nursing care, situational and client modification and triggers to hypothesis generation followed by nursing action. One issue relevant to this model is the role of learning from experienced nurses. Inexperienced nurses value the contribution that can

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