Clinical reasoning is a critical practice in every medical practice. The practice focuses on the concerns, preferences, and clinical trajectories of different patients. Caregivers “should use clinical reasoning to form the best medical conclusions or decisions depending on the patients’ expectations and sensitivities to health interventions” (Banning, 2008, p. 179). My specialty area requires various concepts and competencies such as clinical reasoning. The concept of clinical reasoning helps clinicians throughout every decision-making and problem-solving process.
Clinicians “can address the concerns, vulnerabilities, and preferences of different patients using clinical reasoning” (Terry, 2011). A good example of clinical reasoning strategy in my specialty area is critical thinking. This “reasoning strategy relies on various cognitive aspects such as analysis, interpretation, and evaluation” (Banning, 2008, p. 179). Nurses can use critical thinking to make the best self-regulatory judgments. The other clinical reasoning strategy is “Think Aloud”. Nurses can use this strategy to identify the best cognitive approaches. Nurses can use this reasoning strategy to improve the quality of patient care. The “clinical reasoning strategy also encourages nurses to engage in continued reflection about their nursing practices” (Simmons, 2010, p. 1154).
I recently made an important practice-related decision as a caregiver. I approached the decision using the best clinical reasoning strategies. The first approach was to use critical thinking. Nurses and caregivers should be ready to interpret and evaluate every medical situation before proposing the best decision. Nurses should analyze the challenges encountered in their nursing environments (Terry, 2011).
My patient was a young woman suffering from breast cancer. I encouraged her to consider every issue associated with breast cancer. The individual was reluctant to accept my opinions and suggestions. I thought critically in order to deal with the situation. My immediate goal was to inform my patient about the dangers associated with breast cancer (Tanner, 2006). I encouraged my patient to think about her life and those of her sons.
My patient did not get the required medical attention. She came back after several months. The condition had become a major health challenge. She received several radiations and chemotherapies. The sudden death of my patient affected my practice as a clinician. I now understand the importance of establishing the best relationships with my patients (Tanner, 2006).
Several aspects of my specialty informed my decision-making process. The first one was responsible. I also used the best communication abilities and problem-solving strategies. I was also “courageous, sympathetic, and empathetic” (Price, 2011, p. 31). The other aspect was the ability to interact with my teammates. The patient’s death encouraged me to employ better clinical practices in my future practice. The only question from this case study is how I can widen my competencies as a critical thinker. I now understand why “nurses and clinicians should never leave anything to chance” (Price, 2011, p. 32).
Reasoning strategies are applicable in every specialty area. Nurses and caregivers in my specialty practice can use reasoning strategies to make informed medical decisions. Such caregivers can use critical thinking to improve the quality of healthcare. Every clinician should analyze the issues and concerns affecting his or her team. Critical reasoning is a useful approach towards achieving different medical goals (Price, 2011). The above examples encourage nurses to apply critical reasoning in their specialty areas.
I can apply reasoning strategies to the refinement of my DNP Project question. I will always embrace critical thinking in order to make the best nursing decisions. I will also encourage my teammates to work hard in order to achieve their goals (Simmons, 2010). I will always consider the above concepts and practices to refine my DNP Project question. I will also use critical reasoning to lead and mentor my teammates. The above approach will play a critical role in refining my DNP Project question.
Reference List
Banning, M. (2008). Clinical reasoning and its application to nursing: concepts and research studies. Nurse Education in Practice, 8(3), 177-183.
Price, B. (2011). Improving Clinical Reasoning in Children’s Nursing Through Narrative Analysis. Nursing Children & Young People, 23(6), 28-34.
Simmons, B. (2010). Clinical reasoning: Concept Analysis. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 66(5), 1151-1158.
Tanner, C. (2006). Thinking like a nurse: A research-based model of clinical judgment in nursing. Journal of Nursing Education, 45(6), 204-211.
Terry, A. (2011). Clinical Research for Doctor of Nursing Practice. New York: Jones & Bartlett Learning.