Clinical judgment conceptualization scoping review protocol

Clinical judgment within nursing is best understood as the observable outcome of clinical reasoning and critical thinking. However, clinical judgment is poorly conceptualized and lacks a universal definition within nursing. Clinical judgment, clinical reasoning, and critical thinking have been used interchangeably in practice and literature. The objectives of this scoping review are to (1) investigate the extent, range, and nature of the literature pertaining to clinical judgment; (2) provide a synthesis of the current literature as related to clinical judgment within nursing; and (3) inform future research regarding clinical judgment in nursing. Twenty-four English peer-reviewed literature, including primary research studies, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and guidelines, were included in this study. The identified literature was charted using a summary table of included sources of evidence from the databases. Four main themes were extracted from the review: (1) Varying definitions of clinical judgment; (2) Clinical Judgment, Experience, and Intuition; (3) Clinical Judgment and Evidence-Based Practice; and (4) Clinical Judgment, Clinical Reasoning, and Critical Thinking. The authors conclude that there are evident discrepancies in the definition of clinical judgment. Clinical judgment in nursing is multifaceted and involves both experiential knowledge as well as evidence-based knowledge.