Clinical judgment: the last frontier for evaluation

Abstract

Nursing educators and preceptors often find it difficult to evaluate prelicensure students' clinical judgment development. Clinical judgment is critical to excellent patient care decisions and outcomes. The Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric, a validated, evidence-based clinical judgment rubric, is described as a tool that offers a common language for students, nurse educators, and preceptors and a trajectory for students' clinical judgment development. The rubric has been used to provide feedback for reflective journals and a means for self-evaluation in addition to a guide for formulating higher level thought questions to shape students' thinking like a nurse.