Clinical judgment
No aspect of nursing today is more important than developing the skill of clinical judgment. NCSBN has zeroed in on this skill as the reason for creating the new version of the NCLEX (commonly referred to as Next Generation NCLEX).
Learn more by downloading our exclusive NGN guidebooks.
Clinical judgment: the NCSBN’s official definition
The NCSBN has defined clinical judgment for the nursing profession as “the observed outcome of critical thinking and decision-making.”
Further, clinical judgment is an iterative decision-making process that uses nursing knowledge to:
- Observe and assess presenting situations
- Identify a prioritized client concern
- Generate the best possible evidence-based solutions to deliver safe client care.
Why the change?
Clinical judgment is necessary when caring for the complex needs of clients.
The NCSBN’s observational practice analysis showed that the linking factor in almost any task that an entry-level nurse performed was the ability to make judgments on the spot based on the evidence presented.
About half of the errors led to remediation or disciplinary action. This knowledge is important because clinical errors quite often affect client safety and lead to client harm.
NCSBN has zeroed in on this skill as the reason for creating a new version of the NCLEX (commonly referred to as the Next Generation NCLEX).
How to incorporate clinical judgment into lessons
To encourage the development of clinical judgment, make it a critical curriculum component.
ATI has built out a 3-step process to help your program excel with the release of NGN.
- Use active-learning strategies.
- Thoroughly assess all assessments.
- Question using the Socratic method.
The Clinical Judgment Measurement Model
To encourage the development of clinical judgment, make it a critical curriculum component.
The NCSBN's Clinical Judgment Measurement Model (NCJMM) was created to help evaluate candidates' clinical judgment.
The NCSBN used the NCJMM to develop the new item types that appear on the Next Generation NCLEX. (If you’ve used a contextual unfolding case study before, then you may see similarities in the new item types.)
Next Gen NCLEX tools, tips, & information
Bookmark this page. We are regularly releasing new blog posts, resources, and tools to help you prepare your students for the Next Generation NCLEX.
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