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Learn MoreBest practices in the world of healthcare generate are a moving target, which is understandable given the complexity and rapid evolution of the industry. There’s always something “buzzy” happening when it comes to workplace performance in particular, and lately the concept of clinical reasoning has been getting a lot of attention.
Clinical Reasoning Defined
Simply put, clinical reasoning—or clinical judgment in some quarters—is defined as the way clinicians (nurses in particular) gather information about a patient, assess his or her condition, plan and deploy care, and evaluate outcomes. The thinking is that they will then take this process and continue it with each patient they see all through the care continuum, building a positive feedback and experience loop that helps them become more adept at their jobs while also providing strong outcomes and increasing operational efficiency.
The Clinical Reasoning Process
The clinical reasoning process is described as having eight phases, each with a specific activity and outcome that leads to the next:
Clinical Reasoning in Nursing
Clinical reasoning is seen as the best way for nurses and other clinicians to capture a vast and growing amount of data around a patient, sift through it for the most important elements in regard to the presenting care issue or issues, and then act upon it. Without clinical reasoning, or some other mechanism that acts in a similar fashion, the risks include failure to identify a care issue, failure to implement needed care, and inefficient management of staff and facility resources.
Clinical Reasoning Is Not Without Potential Peril
Even so, clinical reasoning should not be seen as a standalone way to get everything right in patient care. For instance, if a provider becomes committed to a specific feature in the patient’s current condition or medical history, he or she may determine a course of treatment too early and overlook other factors that indicate something else may be occurring as well. This is known as confirmation bias, when evidence supporting a diagnosis is sought rather than the reverse.
Clinical Reasoning Issues
Other slip-ups around clinical reasoning include:
Attribution errors: Focusing on patient behavior for illnesses rather than exploring the entire set of circumstances that may be involved.
Overconfidence bias: A caregiver’s thinking he or she knows more than they do and acting on intuition or hunches rather than the data at hand.
Premature closure: Checking off all the boxes and moving on rather than assessing each and every element of the forming treatment plan.
Just like anything else in healthcare (or most any other profession), clinical reasoning only works if a thoughtful, deliberate, and well thought out approach is taken. A literal rush to judgment can impair the treatment’s success as well as have negative consequences for the patient and providing institution. This is a learned skill, and one that is highly desirable and effective once it is mastered—and that takes time.
Contact HealthStream to speak to a solutions expert to learn more about our courses related to clinical reasoning in the healthcare industry.
HealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All Learning & PerformanceHealthStream offers performance learning management solutions to help develop your healthcare staff into leaders and reduce turnover.
View All ProductsHealthStream works with healthcare organizations to create engaging and high-quality training videos for your staff and management.
View All ProductsImprove care quality and save money by making informed decisions about your healthcare facility and staff with HealthStream's reporting analytics solution.
View All ProductsHealthStream's proven methods for the improvement and overall engagement of your healthcare staff foster a positive workplace and increase retention rates.
View All ProductsThe leadership development program from HealthStream helps mold your high-potential healthcare employees into proven leaders.
View All ProductsWhen you enact HealthStream's quality compliance solutions, you can do so with the confidence your healthcare organization will meet all standards of care.
View All Quality & ComplianceFulfill compliance requirements with a variety of programs and courseware designed to address critical regulatory requirements as well as educate staff to recognize and mitigate risks.
View All ProductsBy increasing your healthcare staff's focus on quality and safety with HealthStream, they can help to reduce medical errors and readmission rates.
View All ProductsLearn about what HealthStream's healthcare policy management software and how it can help aid your organization efforts.
View All ProductsHealthStream's education helps address diversity, equity, and inclusion within your organization, as well as promoting health equity in the communities you serve.
View All ProductsHealthStream offers professional training and education on how to best optimize your reimbursement process within your healthcare organization.
View All ReimbursementTeach your healthcare staff about the revenue cycle and claim management through targeted training and video tools from HealthStream.
View All ProductsLearn about our advanced resuscitation training solutions. Our solutions are designed to help improve patient outcomes.
View All ResuscitationIn all areas of resuscitation, from neonatal to elderly care, clinical deterioration is a risk that can be avoided with the help of HealthStream's training programs.
View All ProductsHealthStream's EMS Program offers a comprehensive, CAPCE accredited EMS course library that meets National Registry annual recertification.
View All ProductsNurture the skills of your nurses and medical staff to help mold them into effective leaders with development training from HealthStream.
View All ProductsExpand the decision-making skills and effectiveness of your healthcare workforce with HealthStream's clinical development programs and services.
View All Clinical DevelopmentMake sure your clinicians have the support they need to provide competent care with clinical competency training and development from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All ProductsThe suite of healthcare onboarding solutions available from HealthStream aids in nurse retention and improved patient outcomes.
View All ProductsGive your healthcare staff the decision support and skills training they need with the online products available from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream leverages medical professional development in healthcare by providing staff training programs
View All ProductsLearn more about HealthStream's Provider Credentialing, privileging, & enrollment solutions.
View All CredentialingExperience standardized and centralized healthcare credentialing, privileging, and enrollment that is smarter and faster than ever before.
View All ProductsAutomated, web-based provider credentialing and enrollment software for growing medical groups.
View All ProductsNCQA-certified CVO verification services for initial and re-credentialing files in an overflow or full-service capacity for healthcare organizations.
View All ProductsSearch, review, and add providers into the Epic provider master file with our Epic app integration, Provider Validate.
View All ProductsMake sure your healthcare staff can schedule out appointments and work schedules with ease using HealthStream's line of software solutions.
View All SchedulingHealthcare scheduling software designed to optimize staffing requirements & elevate patient care
View All ProductsPrecisely align staffing and needed resources to enable efficient patient flow and high-quality, cost-effective patient care.
View All ProductsHealthStream’s free nurse schedule app, NurseGrid™, is built to help you care for your staff and engage with their specific needs.
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