Clinical judgment and diagnostic reasoning of nursing students in clinical simulation
Janaina Gomes Perbone Nunes, José Amendoeira, Diná de Almeida Lopes Monteiro da Cruz, Kathie Lasater, Sheila Coelho Ramalho Vasconcelos Morais, Emı́lia Campos de Carvalho
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: to determine the degree of association between clinical judgment and diagnostic reasoning of nursing students in clinical simulation. METHODS: this is a correlational research design using a quantitative approach. The sample consisted of 41 nursing students who assisted a patient with vaso-occlusive crisis in a high-fidelity clinical simulation setting. The instruments used included the Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric - Brazilian Version and the Diagnostic Thinking Inventory. RESULTS: clinical judgment was associated with diagnostic reasoning (r=0.313; p=0.046), as well as the "noticing" aspect of clinical judgment with diagnostic reasoning (r=0.312; p=0.047). CONCLUSIONS: the results show that skills to interpret patient data are associated with diagnostic reasoning skills. Teaching clinical judgment skills is necessary to develop the diagnostic reasoning of nursing students.