Sometimes, when individuals go through difficult times, they forget that there are many things in their life for which they should be thankful. Research has shown that healthcare workers who embraced gratitude by writing down the things for which they were grateful twice a week had a reduction in perceived stress and depression. In general, individuals who identified as grateful…
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EIGHT WAYS TO IMPROVE CLINICAL JUDGMENT
I am often asked how correctional nurses can improve their critical thinking/clinical judgment. In response, here are some ways to improve clinical judgment in the correctional setting that have worked for me and the nurses with whom I have worked. If you have a leadership role in your setting, you may be able to incorporate these processes into staff meetings,…
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Being Mindful of Biases in Clinical Evaluations
I love the simple, yet powerful words of Dr. Seuss, but nurses might steer themselves in the wrong direction if they allow their unconscious biases to influence their clinical judgment and send them toward the wrong conclusion. Improving clinical judgment involves purposefully looking for and eliminating these mental biases in our patient evaluations and practice. Here is a list of…
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