"It Depends:" Understanding and Learning to Manage Uncertainty in Practice.

Abstract

Background: Nurses consistently encounter uncertainty in clinical practice, which impacts decision-making. Uncertainty can lead to self-doubt and inaction, particularly in students and novice nurses.

Problem: While students and novice nurses desire clear answers, nursing practice inherently involves conflicting and incomplete data. Nurse educators require clear guidelines on how to help students deal with uncertainty in nursing practice.

Approach: This article proposes teaching activities to improve student tolerance of uncertainty and confidence in decision-making. These strategies incorporate interactive unfolding clinical scenarios using color-coded cards for students to demonstrate clinical reasoning in the face of uncertainty.

Conclusion: Implementing these strategies exposes students to real-world uncertainty, fostering confidence and sound clinical judgment. This directly supports the development of essential competencies for nursing practice.