Dixie State University
The Integration of the Nursing Process and Evidence Based Practice
The nursing process is the means by which nurses care for their patients. This process includes the combination of critical thinking and clinical judgement, and with the integration of evidence based practice, nurses are better able to plan and implement care as well as more effectively assess and evaluate how patients are progressing.
The Nursing Process
The nursing process is a series of steps in which nurses collect and analyze data, both objective and subjective. The next step is to determine a nursing diagnosis or a problem, the cause, and the symptoms which led to that conclusion. Next in the nursing process is to plan. The nurse, along with other contributing care …show more content…
Another part of the nursing process along with critical thinking is clinical judgement. Nurses make decisions on behalf of patients as well as advocate and defend the rights and desires of patients. It is more of an interpretation of the assessment and other parts of the nursing process. Clinical judgement is more the emotionally driven of the nursing process and focuses more solely on the patient, taking what is learned through critical thinking and applying it to what is observed, making this part of the nursing process more personal to the patient and the current predicament at hand. Therapeutic communication and relationships are crucial as well and listening and being observant to know what is best for the patient, their beliefs, and wishes. This at times means keeping an open mind and exploring a wide range of possibilities. Working integrally with critical thinking, applying skill and knowledge, as well as clinical judgement and observation, nurses can come to a sound decision both morally and