The Impact of Standard in-Patients Exposure on Clinical Judgement among Undergraduate Nursing Students at SNC Lahore

Abstract

Background: Clinical judgment skills development of nursing professional is essential and vital during clinical education. This quasi experimental study hasevaluated the impact of standardizedIn-patient’s exposure on clinical judgment among under graduate nursing students using observational measures. Method: A single group of undergraduate students was recruited with purposive sampling at College of Nursing, Shalamar Hospital Lahore, Pakistan and Tanner’s clinical rubric model was used. A total 78 under graduate nursing students accomplished in five In-patients exposure within 45 clinical hours. Two Clinical Nursing Instructors were hired to evaluate the outcome of nursing students; clinical judgment at the end of each standardized in-patient exposure session. The inter-rater reliability ranged 0.830 to 0.90 for the session. Results: Clinical judgment outcome were improved from first in-patient exposure to last patient exposure compared with pre and post data of clinical judgement of patient second, third, fourth and fifth. The debriefing method was helpful for the undergraduate nursing students to improve their critical thinking. The undergraduate nursing students confessed that in-patient exposure has not only uplifted their clinical experience but also strengthened the critical thinking in emergency situation and improve the ability to notice, interpret, and respond suitably. The clinical nursing faculty also highlighted and valued the newly learned knowledge and commented that exposure of In-patients to under graduate nursing students is essential for clinical skills preparation. Conclusion: Standardized In-patient exposure has potential to support the undergraduate nursing student for the development of clinical judgement. No doubt, the clinical instructor has enhanced nursing professional’s intrinsic motivation but standardized in-patient presented a true picture, while learning to complete assessment skills.A difference may exist between high fidelity simulator and standardized in-patient exposure among undergraduate nursing students, so further research can explore this phenomenology. Key words:Nursing students, Clinical Judgment, Standardized in-patients, Nursing professionals.