Clinical Reasoning Skills of Registered Nurses in Individualized Nursing Care Planning and Quality of Patient Care in Tertiary Hospitals

Abstract

Background:
Nursing care plans are essential for providing personalized and well-coordinated patient care. This study assesses nurses' proficiency in developing nursing care plans within an academic hospital.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted in selected wards involving 273 registered professional nurses, chosen through a random sampling approach. Analyses were conducted using STATA version 16.1 (StataCorp, Texas, USA), with a p-value of 0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results:
The findings show that out of 218 participating nurses (79.9% response rate), most nurses, 207 (94.8%), were knowledgeable in writing nursing care plans. Additionally, 136 (62.4%) had a positive attitude, but notably, 128 (58.7%) demonstrated poor practice. Nurses in psychiatry, obstetrics and gynaecology, and paediatrics wards were more knowledgeable (p<0.05). Moreover, those aged 60+ had less favourable attitudes (p<0.05), and those with over five years of experience were more likely to have poor practices (p<0.05).
Conclusion:
This study highlights the need for systems that connect academic knowledge with clinical practice through ongoing and specialized training. Improving practical skills in care plan development is crucial for enhancing patient care quality, increasing workflow efficiency, and boosting nurses’ satisfaction. This research adds to the discussion on nursing education and practice transformation in resource-constrained healthcare environments.