Module 4

How did the readings influence your perception of your own clinical decision-making?

The readings in this assignment caused me to look a little closer at my clinical decision-making. I have very little exposure to clinical decision support (CDS)interventions and this assignment opened my eyes to new tools to use, which is great. However, even the best tools are subject to error and only as good as the design of the system and the accuracy of the data that it contains. These are great tools to use, but must be used with caution.
As I have gained more experience as a nurse, I see how my decision-making skills have changed. I was not really very conscious of it until I started thinking about it after I read the material in this module. I realize that when I was a new nurse, I looked up and double checked almost everything I did. As I have become more comfortable in my role and more experienced, I realize I rely on my knowledge more and question less, which can be both good and bad. Intuition can be extremely valuable when you just have a "bad feeling" about something. It can make you more thorough and question the process more closely. However, intuition can also be dangerous when we don't worry about a situation that needs attention, because we have dealt with it before and nothing bad happened. It can lead us to become complacent. So, after reading this material, I will try to pay more attention to what influences my decisions.