The relationship between self reflection and clinical decision making skills in undergraduate nursing students enrolled in a health assessment course

Abstract

<p>Nurses' decision-making abilities and clinical judgment skills impact their patients' lives and are critical to their survival rates. Although new nurse graduates are expected to have these skills, they do not enter into their new practice with this ability. (Hart et al, 2013; Thompson, Aitken, Doran &amp; Dowding, 2013; Bussard, 2014; Benner, Sutphen, Leonard, &amp; Day, 2009). Reflective journaling is a teaching strategy identified to help students develop clinical judgment and decision-making skills and its practice have been associated with improved clinical decision making. (Lasater &amp; Nielsen, 2009, Tanner, 2006; Wainwright et al, 2010; Goethals, deCasterle &amp; Gastmans, 2012; Lavoie, Pepin &amp; Boyer, 2013; Sedgwick, Grigg &amp; Dersch, 2014; Endacott et al, 2012; Murphy, 2004, Bussard, 2014). Virtual simulation provides active learning to teach students the utilization of clinical judgment and decision-making and then allows them to reflect on their actions (Billings, 2009). A paucity of research exists linking self-reflection with clinical-decision making skills within a virtual simulation environment. Results from this descriptive study indicated that a moderate correlation exists between reflection and clinical decision-making following the virtual patient encounter of 32 accelerated Bachelor of Science Nursing (ABSN) students. The virtual simulation environment has been shown to be effective in providing a vehicle for affording nursing students the opportunities to develop clinical decision-making skills followed by critical self-reflection (Kleinheksel, 2014).</p>