Running head: CLINICAL REASONING AND ITS IMPACT 1

Clinical Reasoning and its Impact

Adam King

Brigham Young University-Idaho

NURS 310-02

Sister Hawkins

September 26, 2017

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Clinical Reasoning and its Impact

The necessity to understand and be skilled with clinical reasoning has been continually

growing due to the expansion of the medical field. Because of such quick medical advancement,

it has become increasingly important to understand what clinical reasoning is, and how to

develop it. Alongside development, it is crucial to implement clinical reasoning into practice to

ensure situations in the clinical setting are handled effectively and accurately.

Clinical Reasoning Explained

The process of clinical reasoning is not a straightforward procedure as it involves a

variety of aspects that can be easily overlooked. These characteristics include critical thinking,

knowledge, and experience to develop solutions to problems and make decisions (Crawford &

Yoost, 2017). By examining each of the composing aspects of clinical reasoning, it can be

determined that each are vital to the effective application of clinical reasoning. To begin, critical

thinking is the process of thinking outside the box, asking questions, and constructing accurate

connections to relevant data. This is all completed with the assistance of knowledge.

Implementing knowledge allows the nurse to apply previously learned information by

administering it to each situation individually. Over time, experience is gained and adds to a

nurses knowledge, assisting in the accurate development of solutions and decision making.

As stated by Eriksson and others, [c]linical reasoning is viewed as a problem-solving

activity (Eriksson, Katajisto, Koivisto, Multisilta, & Niemia, 2016). This activity involves the

gathering of data, organization of relevant information to reach a diagnosis and understanding,

planning, implementation of said plans with proper interventions, evaluation of results, and

ending with reflection of past actions. With all of these steps in place, a nurse will successfully
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think clinically and personally learn from nearly every experience (Giuliano, & Von Colln-

Appling, 2017).

Developing and Applying Clinical Reasoning

The development of clinical reasoning is essential to ensure its proper application in

clinical situations. The process takes time through learning experiences (Giuliano, & Von Colln-

Appling, 2017), both in and out of clinicals. No one is perfect at first, but nearly anyone can

become an expert through practice and education.

To clinically reason means to cyclically analyze patients while making correct

connections with accurate and reliable data. (Bae J., Lee J., Lee Y., & Seo M., 2016) Nurses are

constantly assessing and re-evaluating their patients to validate their actions. (Eriksson et al.,

2016). By evaluating their own work, it assures that the nurses critical thinking and thought

processes are in check. During all of this, nurses are reflecting on their experiences to assess

what could be improved and what was done correctly. It is best not to forget that this process is

most effective when combined with clinical reasoning.

The Impact of Clinical Reasoning

Clinical reasoning has the potential to hugely impact a student nurses clinical practice,

along with the patients for which they are providing care. When the concept of clinical reasoning

is grasped and applied correctly, a nurse will be more reliable and efficient in their work, as they

can think critically and make meaningful and accurate connections between patient data. The

importance of clinical reasoning involves the opportunity to learn from it during progression in

the nursing field. With all of the aspects of clinical nursing combined, it gives nurses the best

opportunity to complete their tasks correctly while learning in the progress.

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References

Bae J., Lee J., Lee Y., Seo M. (2016). Registered nurses' clinical reasoning skills and reasoning

process: A think-aloud study. Nurse Education Today, 46. Retrieved from

http://www.sciencedirect.com.byui.idm.oclc.org/science/article/pii/S0260691716301642?

via%3Dihub

Crawford, L. R., & Yoost, B. L. (2016). Fundamentals of nursing: Active learning for

collaborative practice. Missouri: Elsevier.

Eriksson, E., & Katajisto, J., & Koivisto, J., & Multisilta, J., & Niemia, H. (2016). Learning by

playing: A cross-sectional descriptive study of nursing students' experiences of learning

clinical reasoning. Nurse Education Today, 45. Retrieved from

http://www.sciencedirect.com.byui.idm.oclc.org/science/article/pii/S0260691716301046?

via%3Dihub#ab0005

Giuliano, D., Von Colln-Appling, C. (2017). A concept analysis of critical thinking: A guide for

nurse educators. Nurse Education Today, 49. Retrieved from

http://www.sciencedirect.com.byui.idm.oclc.org/science/article/pii/S0260691716302611#

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