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Key Terms

clinical judgment
thought process that allows nurses to arrive at a conclusion based on objective and subjective information about a patient
clinical judgment measurement model (CJMM)
a model allowing nurse educators to teach, assess, and measure the development of clinical judgment skills of nursing students
clinical reasoning
a complex cognitive process that uses formal and informal thinking strategies to gather and analyze patient information, evaluate the significance of this information, and weigh alternative actions
cognitive thinking
mental processes and abilities a nurse uses to interpret, analyze, and evaluate information in their practice
critical thinking
reasoning about clinical issues such as teamwork, collaboration, and streamlining workflow
critical thinking indicators (CTIs)
certain behaviors that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that promote critical thinking
deductive reasoning
type of thinking that involves using a general standard or rule to create a strategy
generalization
proposed explanation for a situation
hypothesis
judgment formed from a set of facts, cues, and observations
inductive reasoning
type of thinking that involves noticing cues, making generalizations, and creating hypotheses
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