Abstract
Purpose: This study aims to describe how mid-career generalist nurses perform autonomous clinical judgments.
Method: Nineteen Japanese generalist nurses were interviewed about their experience in making autonomous clinical judgments. The modified grounded theory approach was used for data collection and analysis.
Results: Participants reported a goal of “bringing out patients' true selves, and preserving their hope and choice” in making such judgments. Then, they made judgments that involved “reviewing orders from medical doctors and complementing them if necessary” and “providing treatment with respect for the patient's life.” In making judgments, they determined means of “complementing and supplementing each other's judgments” and “capturing minute changes in patients' status and predicting their prognoses.”
Discussion: Mid-career Japanese generalist nurses appear to exhibit professional autonomy, aiming for a clear goal, making independent judgments, and utilizing their intuition to the maximum.
