Discussion: Reasoning in a Specialty Area: Mental Health NP Essay

• How are reasoning strategies most often applied in your specialty area? Provide at least two specific examples supported by the literature. • How can you apply reasoning strategies to the refinement of your EBP Assignment question(s)?

Clinical reasoning takes place during the identification of clinical situations demanding particular nursing care and the selection of necessary actions to effect optimal care so as to achieve the health outcomes under the nursing responsibility. According to Simmons (2010), clinical reasoning has not been clearly defined and hence presents ambiguity. He thus defines it as a complex cognitive process that employs both the informal and formal strategies of thinking to collect and analyze the information of patients and evaluate its importance as well as weigh alternative actions (Simmons, 2010).

Clinical reasoning characterizes the ability of integration and application of diverse knowledge types, weighting of evidences and thinking critically about arguments coupled with the reflection of the process with the aim of reaching an informed diagnosis (Gruppen, 2017). It is important in the collection of cues, information processing, understanding of clinical and patient situations, planning and implementation of interventions, reflection and learning. Discussion: Reasoning in a Specialty Area: Mental Health NP Essay.

In the mental health nursing practice specialty, clinical reasoning is a necessity essential in resolving most of the dilemmas associated with the treatment of psychiatric patients. For instance, it promotes learning and provision of patient education to patients and the family. This includes provision of relevant information essential in treatment and management of psychiatric disorders, advice, instructions and explanations in form of both formal and informal counselling (Oostendorp, Elvers & Trijffel van, 2020).

Another application of clinical reasoning strategies is in collaboration. It supports in engaging the psychiatrists, caregivers, family members and patients in informed decision-making regarding the formulation of an effective treatment plan. This also allows informed consent of the patient.  In essence, this also promotes ethical nursing practice thus promoting evidence-based actions in resolving dilemmatic issues in diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. Ethical dilemmas develop from complex situations within therapeutic encounters and they require the consideration of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice principles of ethics (Edwards et al., 2014).

Reasoning strategies can be applied in the refinement of EBP assignment questions. It helps in developing questions that seek to address and resolve the existing clinical questions. They also help in collecting information about patients and the general healthcare system and analyze them to while assisting in the identification of gaps existing in literature and research (Young, 2018). It also emphasizes on critical thinking about arguments developed during the formulation of research questions. This promotes the planning and implementation of projects that are evidence-based and with potential positive outcomes on the clinical setting. Critical arguments also integrate different research literature to provide essential evidence for resolution of problems. As such, I can apply reasoning strategies in planning and developing my evidence-based assignment as well as in the refinement of my tasks following the above benefits.

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Conclusion

Clinical reasoning is an ambiguous phrase that can be misinterpreted in the clinical setting. However, it can be simply perceived as the complex process of identification, collection, integration, analysis, evaluation and refection of healthcare information in a manner that facilitates informed decision making regarding different situations encountered in the healthcare setting. This helps in the selection of appropriate and effective courses of action particularly in the mental health nursing practice specialty. Clinical reasoning has attracted multiple applications including in the provision of health education, collaboration as well as in ethics. As such, the clinical reasoning strategies are important aspects in answering and refining evidence-based questions. Discussion: Reasoning in a Specialty Area: Mental Health NP Essay.

References

Banning, M. (2008). Clinical reasoning and its application to nursing: concepts and research studies. Nurse education in practice, 8(3), 177-183.

Edwards, I., Jones, M., Carr, J., Braunack-Mayer, A., & Jensen, G. M. (2014). Clinical reasoning strategies in physical therapy. Physical therapy, 84(4), 312-330.

Gruppen, L. D. (2017). Clinical reasoning: defining it, teaching it, assessing it, studying it. Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, 18(1), 4.

Oostendorp, R. A., Elvers, J. H., & Trijffel van, E. (2020). Concept Analysis of Clinical Reasoning in Physical Therapist Practice. Physical therapy, 100(8), 1353-1356.

Simmons, B. (2010). Clinical reasoning: concept analysis. Journal of advanced nursing, 66(5), 1151-1158.

Young, M., Thomas, A., Lubarsky, S., Ballard, T., Gordon, D., Gruppen, L. D., … & Durning, S. J. (2018). Drawing boundaries: the difficulty in defining clinical reasoning. Academic Medicine, 93(7), 990-995.

Bring to mind an important practice-related decision you have made recently. How did you approach this decision? What aspects of your specialty expertise informed your decision-making?

Evaluate your decision now in light of the principles of clinical reasoning presented in the Learning Resources this week. What new insights arise about your decision making as you look at it through this lens? What questions emerge as you reflect how you use reasoning in your practice? Discussion: Reasoning in a Specialty Area: Mental Health NP Essay.

In this Discussion, you and your colleagues examine the application of reasoning strategies in your specialty area of practice, particularly as it is connected to your EBP Assignment question.

To prepare:

• Consider the definition of clinical reasoningand how it is distinguished from other terms in the Simmons article.
• Bring to mind key characteristics of your specialty area. Is the concept of clinical reasoning relevant and sufficient to describe the processyou utilize as you make decisions and solve problems in your area of specialization? Why or why not? If not, what terminology would be more useful for defining or characterizing this process?
• Review the literature to identify at least two specific examples of reasoning strategies used in your specialty area. These may be part of your literature review related to your EBP Assignment question(s).
• Reflect on your EBP Assignment question(s). Reexamine your project question(s) through this lens of clinical, or alternately termed, reasoning.

By Day 3

Post a cohesive scholarly response that addresses the following:

• How are reasoning strategies most often applied in your specialty area? Provide at least two specific examples supported by the literature.
• How can you apply reasoning strategies to the refinement of your EBP Assignment question(s)? Discussion: Reasoning in a Specialty Area: Mental Health NP Essay.