Evaluating the Relationship Between Nurse Autonomy and Clinical Judgment Accuracy in Acute Care Units

Posted: Aug 18, 2021

• Kayden Pierce
• Luna Matthews
• Daisy Grant

Abstract

The concept of nurse autonomy has been a subject of considerable interest in healthcare research for decades, with numerous studies examining its relationship to job satisfaction, retention rates, and overall quality of care. However, the specific connection between autonomy and clinical judgment accuracy remains inadequately explored through rigorous computational methodologies. Traditional approaches to studying this relationship have relied heavily on self-reported data, retrospective surveys, and limited observational periods, which fail to capture the complex, real-time decision-making processes that characterize acute care environments. This research gap is particularly significant given that clinical judgment accuracy in acute care settings directly impacts patient safety, treatment efficacy, and healthcare outcomes. Acute care units represent dynamic clinical environments where nurses must frequently make rapid decisions with limited information and under considerable pressure. The autonomy afforded to nurses in these settings varies substantially based on institutional policies, unit culture, individual experience levels, and specific patient conditions. Understanding how variations in autonomy influence the accuracy of clinical judgments represents a critical area of inquiry with direct implications for patient care quality, nursing education, and healthcare administration.