Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nursing Education

Copyright Statement

All rights reserved. This publication is intended for use solely by faculty, students, and staff of Nova Southeastern University. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, now known or later developed, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author or the publisher.

First Advisor

Blondel Martin

Date of original Performance / Presentation

January 2023

Publication Date / Copyright Date

1-1-2023

Abstract

This qualitative, descriptive study explores the perception of entry-level nurses, specifically their perceived usefulness of instructional strategies used in pre-licensure nursing education programs in developing clinical judgment. Clinical judgment and its development and inception into practice is at the forefront of professional inquiry. While there is a significant amount of literature about clinical judgment, there is a gap in the knowledge related to learners’ perceptions of instructional strategies and the development of clinical judgment. Benner’s theoretical framework provided the scaffolding for the expectations related to the performance of entry-level nurses. This study also used the Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric and the associated constructs to formulate questions regarding the entry-level nurses’ perceptions of instructional/learning strategies that facilitated the development of clinical judgment in practice. Fifteen participants were recruited utilizing snowball sampling. Data collection was based on The World Café. Online interviews and an online open ended qualitative form were utilized to collect participant responses. Participants acknowledged that the instructional strategies that supported decision-making were unfolding case studies, simulations, virtual simulations with debriefing, and clinical learning. The themes associated with knowledge, skill, and attitude development significant to the use of these instructional strategies were developed through focused objective data collection, evaluation of trending data, communication, and learning through collaboration with nurses, faculty, and peers. The findings revealed a strong reliance on experienced nurses, faculty, and peers, including through coaching and mentoring, to help develop clinical judgment. For most, reflection on action instructional/learning strategies provided the most beneficial impact on students’ clinical judgment development, as it led to more holistic thinking. It prompts further research to examine how various instructional strategies enhanced the development of clinical judgment.

Disciplines

Nursing

Keywords

Baccalaureate Nurses; Clinical Judgment; Clinical Judgment Development; Instructional Strategies; Lasater Clinical Judgment

Download

Download Full Text (1.2 MB)

Download
To access this thesis/dissertation you must have a valid nova.edu OR mynsu.nova.edu email address and create an account for NSUWorks.

Free My Thesis

If you are the author of this work and would like to grant permission to make it openly accessible to all, please click the Free My Thesis button.

  Contact Author

Share

 
COinS