Clinical Decision Making – Clinical Judgment (Nursing)

00:00 Welcome back everyone.

00:02 Today's video is an important topic for both individual contributors as individual health care providers and organizations.

00:10 Clinical decision making.

00:13 Clinical decision making is a contextual, continuous and evolving process where data are gathered, interpreted and evaluated in order to select an evidence-based choice of action.

00:25 Common elements of clinical decision making include: Identifying a goal.

00:33 Second, establishing needs.

00:30 What is the purpose of the decision? Who's gonna be affected? Identifying options Which choices are possible? Making a plan Which action should be taken? Then, taking action, this is where you actually do it.

00:51 And finally, evaluating results.

00:53 How did it work out? Now, there are three stages to clinical decision making.

00:58 First, brainstorming.

01:00 Brainstorming should focus more on quantity of ideas rather than quality in the beginning.

01:06 Nothing is off the table.

01:07 Really think about everything, what are all of the possibilities? Second, mapping.

01:13 Mapping often begins with a central problem or an issue such as infection control and you place that at the beginning point of the diagram.

01:21 Now, as ideas for dealing with the problem are suggested, and you come up with more ideas, they are added to the diagram.

01:28 And then finally, prioritizing.

01:30 The reality is that, regardless of the value of multiple ideas, some prioritization is generally needed to determine the first action or the best alternative from a number of suggestions.

01:42 Now, bigger than just one person making a clinical decision, organizations also have to have clinical decision making processes as well.

01:49 The health care organization really should clearly articulate their organizational values.

01:54 and the team members incorporate these values when making decisions.

01:58 The organization also ensures that nurses and physicians from the bedside to the board room, all participate in all levels of decision making.

02:06 The organization also provides team members with support for and access to ongoing inter-professional education and development programs, focusing on strategies that ensure collaborative decision making.

02:19 Program content includes mutual goal setting, negotiation, the salutation, complete management, systems thinking and performance improvement.

02:28 The organization also has operational structures in place that ensure that perspectives, the patients and their families are also incorporated into the decisions affecting patient care.

02:40 Health care organizations also establish systems such as structured forums, involving appropriate departments and healthcare professionals to facilitate data driven decisions.

02:50 They also establish deliberate decision making processes that ensure respect for the rights of every individual.

02:56 They incorporate all key perspectives and designate clear accountability.

03:02 And finally, organizations have fair and effective processes in place at all levels to objectively evaluate the results of decisions including delayed decisions and indecisions.

03:13 So remember, nurses share accountability for effective decision making by acquiring the necessary skills, mastering relevant content, assessing situations accurately, sharing fact-based information, communicating opinions clearly and inquiring actively.

03:31 What do we learn today? First, clinical decision making involves the common elements of identifying a goal, establishing needs, identifying options, making a plan, taking action and evaluating results.

03:46 To begin the clinical decision-making process, be sure to start with brainstorming.

03:50 Next, map out all of the possibilites.

03:53 And then finally, prioritize your action.

03:56 Now, at a higher level, organizations should also have a structure in place for decision making.

04:02 And finally, nurses, as an important part of the health care team, should play a vital role in an organization's decision-making process as well.

04:11 I hope you've enjoyed this video on clinical decision making.

04:14 Thank you so much for watching.