Diagnostic Reasoning Competency and Accuracy by Nurse Practitioner Students Following the Use of Structured Reflection in Simulation: A Mixed-Methods Experiment

Abstract

Abstract AIM The aim of this study was to examine the effect of structured reflection used during a simulated patient’s diagnostic workup on diagnostic reasoning competency and accuracy and explore participants’ cognitive bias experience and perceived utility of structured reflection. BACKGROUND Reasoning flaws may lead to diagnostic errors. Medical learners who used structured reflection demonstrated improved diagnosis accuracy. METHOD Embedded mixed-methods experiment examined diagnostic reasoning competency and accuracy of nurse practitioner students who did and did not use structured reflection. Cognitive bias experience and perceptions of structured reflection’s utility were explored. RESULTS Diagnostic Reasoning Assessment mean competency scores and categories were not changed. Accuracy trended toward improvement with structured reflection. The theme, diagnostic verification, prompted diagnosis change by both structured reflection users and control participants. CONCLUSION Despite no changes in quantitative outcomes, explicit users of structured reflection believed that this strategy is helpful to their reasoning, and control participants used the strategy’s components with the same noted benefits.