HLTH 3631: Clinical Decision Making
This course is designed to enhance the professional health practitioner's clinical decision- making skills to support safe practice across various health settings and with different client populations with diverse health issues. Using a case-based approach and a clinical decision-making framework, participants are supported to explore the current knowledge required to implement best practices with respect to the assessment and care of clients with various actual or potential health challenges.
Learning outcomes
- Develop participant confidence and competence in accessing resources to facilitate clinical decision-making skills in order to prepare for their return to a practice setting wherein diverse forms of knowledge and decision-making skills are required to provide quality health care.
- Enhance participant knowledge of anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, epidemiology, social determinants of health, and application of this empirical knowledge in client assessment and care across the lifespan.
- Augment participant understanding of several frameworks to support clinical decision-making.
- Increase participants capacity to assess, plan and evaluate client-centred care based on multiple ways of knowing, principles of evidence based decisions (evidence based practice) and current best-practices.
Course topics
Module 1: Course Introduction and Orientation
Module 2: Clinical Decision-making Models
Module 3: Clinical Decision-making and Episodic Conditions
Module 4: Clinical Decision-making to Deliver Quality Nursing Care
Required text and materials
Students will receive the following:
- Lilley, L. L., Snyder J.S., Swart, B., & Collins, S. R. (2020). Pharmacology for
Canadian Health Care Practice (4th ed). Toronto: Mosby Canada.
Type: Textbook. ISBN: 9780323694803
Additional requirements
This is a companion course to HLTH 3611 & HLTH 3621. Therefore, the textbook listed below will not be included in your course package. If you do not have this textbook please contact Enrolment Services at student@tru.ca or 1.800.663.9711 (toll-free in Canada), 250.852.7000 (Kamloops, BC), and 1.250.852.7000 (International)
Potter, P., Perry, A., Ross-Kerr, J., & Wood, M. Canadian Fundamentals of Nursing.
5th Edition, Toronto, CA: Elsevier-Mosby, 2014.
Type: Textbook: ISBN: 978-1-926648-53-8
or
Potter/Perry/Ross-Kerr/Wood/Astle/Duggleby. Canadian Fundamentals of Nursing. 6th
Edition, 2019 Elsevier Mosby.
Type: Textbook, ISBN: 978-1-77172-113-4
Optional materials
- Vallerand, A. H., Deglin, J. H., & Sanoski, C. A. (2021). Davis's Canadian Drug Guide
for Nurses (17th ed). F.A. Davis Company.
Type: Textbook, 978-1-7196-4007-7 - Venes, D. (2013). Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary (23rd ed). F.A. Davis Company.
Type: Textbook, ISBN: 978-0-8036-5904-9 - Van, L. A. M., & Bladh, M. L. (2019). Davis's Comprehensive Handbook of Laboratory and
Diagnostic Tests with Nursing Implications (8th ed). F.A. Davis & Company.
Type: Textbook, ISBN: 978-0-8036-7495-0
Assessments
To successfully complete this course students must obtain 50% or higher in the mandatory final project and in the course overall. Students in the RRNP program must achieve at least a C grade (minimum 60%) in each required course and maintain a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.33 (minimum 65%) in order to progress to the next course.
| Assignment 1: Portfolio Reflection on Team Task 1 | 20% |
| Assignment 2: A Personal Clinical Decision Making Framework | 20% |
| Assignment 3: Portfolio Reflection on Team Task 2 | 20% |
| Final Project: Clinical Decision Making (mandatory) | 40% |
| Total | 100% |
Open Learning Faculty Member Information
An Open Learning Faculty Member is available to assist students. Students will receive the necessary contact information at the start of the course.
