Question

A registered nurse is caring for a postoperative patient whose systolic blood pressure has dropped 10 points during the shift. The nurse remembers that this was similar to a situation that happened in the past when a patient developed an internal bleed. Which term most accurately describes the thought process of the nurse?

Answer 1

The reasoning process used by the nurse who associates a decrease in blood pressure with a potential internal bleeding based on past experience is known as clinical reasoning. Clinical reasoning is vital in recognizing serious conditions such as hemorrhage, allowing for timely intervention.

Step-by-step explanation:

The term that most accurately describes the thought process of the nurse who is recalling a similar past situation to a current observation is clinical reasoning. This cognitive process involves applying previous knowledge and experience to identify potential issues and make decisions in patient care. In this case, the nurse suspects the possibility of an internal bleed due to the drop in the patient's systolic blood pressure, based on a previous experience with a similar situation. Nurses are often trained to recognize patterns and clinical signs that may indicate serious conditions such as hemorrhage or circulatory shock, and thus they play a crucial role in early intervention and management of such conditions.