Decision-making role of the nurse

Utilizing the ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, fidelity, justice, and paternalism as outlined by the American Nurses Association (ANA) provides us with a firm foundation for ethical decision making.

Decision making in nursing is a complex process that may be defined as a series of decisions, including obtaining subjective and objective data in relation to a patient situation and the evaluation of that data to implement actions to achieve a desired outcome (Lauri et al., 2001).

Nurse decision-making is responsive to various levels of patient cues not limited to physiological cues alone but also complex factors such as progression of change. Understanding patient status is an important and complex part of decision-making for nurses.

They can base their decisions on research and data. They can use critical thinking skills to identify when a patient's treatment needs to be adjusted. The research increasingly shows that clinical decision-making by nurses can improve quality of care and patient satisfaction.

How do acute care nurses make decisions?

Acute care nurses employ a variety of decision-making factors and processes. informally identify experienced nurses to be important resources for decision-making.
Incorporation of evidence into acute care nursing practice continues to be a struggle for acute care nurses.

What Is Clinical Decision-Making in Nursing?

Nurses are the experts in patient care.
They have a more in-depth understanding of a patient’s current condition than doctors and hospital administrators do.
They’re the first to recognize that a patient is in pain or that a patient’s condition is deteriorating.
That’s why nurses need to be problem-solvers and decision-makers with regard to patient.

Why do nurses need to be problem-solvers and decision-makers?

That’s why nurses need to be problem-solvers and decision-makers with regard to patient outcomes.
Clinical decision-making in nursing is an active approach to assessing a patient’s condition and basing care decisions on the evidence.

Why Should We Care About Clinical Decision-Making?

Clinical decision-making has a number of advantages for hospitals, patients, and nurses.
At its core, the process is rooted in science and the scientific method (hypothesis, test, repeat).
It allows nurses to use all of their clinical experience, education, and professional knowledge of patient care, rather than following a set workflow or checklis.