Module 5 Question #1

How did the readings influence your perception of your own clinical decision-making? How do we reconcile the value of nursing experience with known heuristics and biases used in human decsion making?
I recognize that in the past I have often based my nursing decisions on examples from nurses who have taught me. I have learned that 'best practice' is something that has to have proof. In the operating room we have a book of standards of evidence based practice that outlines 'best practice'. I am certain that there are exceptions to the standards outlined, but they are rare. I am confident that experience is what gives good nurses that intuition that helps them to be excellent practioners. For the most part the knowledge base that excellent practioners use is the evidence based practice.
There is not a way to completely eliminate bias in nursing. Our experiences as nurses create bias in us. Knowing that I have bias as a nurse helps me to open my thoughts to other possibilities in care modalities. This reading has helped to encourage me to be more open-minded about nursing in its many facets.