[Demographic factors involved in nurses' clinical decision making]

ABSTRACT

Clinical decision making as the pillar of professional nursing practice sets nurses apart from other non- professional health care staff. Clinical decisions made by nurses affect quality care more than other factors and contribute to identification of patients' needs and the best nursing interventions. This study aims to determine demographic factors involved in nurses clinical decision making. It was a descriptive cross- sectional study. The sample consisted of 285 nurses working in selected wards of hospitals affiliated to Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. They were recruited by stratified random sampling. Data was collected by a check list and Participation in Decision Activities Questionnaire [PDAQ] and analyzed by SPSS-PC [v.15]. There were significant relationships between nurses clinical decision making and their age [p= 0.003] sex [p=0.001] ward [p=0.002] employment status [p=0.005] and years in work [p=0.025]. Considering the factors involved in nurse's clinical decision making, nurse manager could facilitate their participation in this process