Original Research

A conceptual framework to facilitate clinical judgement in nursing: A methodological perspective

Anna C. van Graan, Martha J.S. Williams
Health SA Gesondheid | Vol 22 | a1015 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/hsag.v22i0.1015 | © 2017 Anna C. van Graan, Martha J.S. Williams | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 10 October 2017 | Published: 10 October 2017

About the author(s)

Anna C. van Graan, School of Nursing Science, North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus), South Africa
Martha J.S. Williams, School of Nursing Science, North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus), South Africa

Full Text:

PDF (935KB)

Abstract

The South African health care and education systems are challenged to provide independent, critical thinking nurses who can cope with diversity in a creative way and define their role in a complex, uncertain, rapidly changing health care environment. Quality clinical judgement is an imperative characteristic that newly qualified professional nurses should possess. To accommodate these needs, SANC in line with the SAQA Act, advocated the development of teaching and learning strategies to balance theory and practice opportunities together with an outcome-based, student centred approach and appropriate clinical supervision. This resulted in a positive outcome to facilitate the integration/fusion of theory and practice. The purpose of this study was to synthesise a teaching–learning strategy for creating an enabling learning environment to facilitate clinical judgement in South African undergraduate nursing students. The proposed teaching–learning strategyis grounded in modern-day constructivist approach of learning. The conceptual or theoretical framework of this study aimed to link the central concepts that were identified from the conclusions of four (4) strategic objectives of the two preceding phases of the study into a new structure of meaning that served as a basis for the proposed strategy. The implementation of the proposed action plan to achieve the stated strategic objectives should empower the relevant role players to facilitate clinical judgement in undergraduate nursing students and thereby promote autonomous and accountable nursing care.

Keywords

Outcomes-based approach; Competence-based learning; Teaching-learning; Constructivist learning; Critical thinking; Reflection

Metrics

Total abstract views: 5596
Total article views: 2281


Crossref Citations

No related citations found.