Which situation represents a nurse using clinical decision-making skills?
a. Collecting information about a patient and coming to a conclusion about his or her health problems
b. Developing a new idea based on expe-rience and knowledge over time
c. Selecting appropriate treatment after forming diagnostic conclusions
d. Clarifying the problem and analyzing possible causes
C
Clinical decision making is a problem-solving activity that focuses on selecting appropriate treatment after forming diagnostic conclusions. Clinical decision making requires careful rea-soning so that a nurse chooses the option for the best patient outcome on the basis of the patient's condition and priority of the problem. Collecting information about a patient and coming to a conclusion about his or health problems is diagnostic reasoning. Clarifying the problem and analyzing possible causes is a part of problem solving. In complex critical thinking you learn to synthesize knowledge. This means that you develop a new thought or idea based on your experience and knowledge over time.
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