Discernment is an essential nursing competency that is foundational to the art and science of nursing. It involves recognizing nuances and subtle cues that enable accurate interpretation. Discernment also encompasses the ability to appraise the quality of available evidence and to determine the most reasonable path forward. Nurses with well-developed discernment abilities intentionally choose decisions and actions based on both nuance and objective facts-they perceive the entirety of situations in multidimensional ways. It is a powerful combination of skills that enable effective patient care, leadership, research, and teaching. Competent practice in every area of nursing relies on different variations of discernment abilities.
Building the capability to discern is woven into the fabric of nursing education programs. Real-world experience and ongoing professional development continuously refine it. Nurses learn how to assess the accuracy and relevance of information, as well as how to decide whether or not to use it. Nurses are taught to look critically at information sources to determine their legitimacy, biases, strengths, weaknesses, and gaps. Nurses recognize that science evolves as new technologies and study methodologies allow discoveries not previously conducted or even possible. Every new answer generates new questions. The preponderance of the best-available evidence provides a basis for decision-making, which is the substance of evidence-based practice.
Now more than ever, nurses need to draw upon their discernment abilities to aid the public in navigating the turbulent sea of health advice and differentiating high-quality information from bogus. Sadly, the bogus is prolific and leads to people feeling confused or overwhelmed when trying to sort out whether or not what they are reading or hearing is true. Popular social media, ripe with misinformation and fraud, is quite effective in its ability to influence people to spurn legitimate, evidence-based approaches to health, wellness, and disease prevention. Without a healthcare background or a trusted expert resource, individuals may make decisions in a void that give rise to poor choices-sometimes at their peril.
Nurses remain rated as the most trusted and ethical health professional, 19 years and running.1 The voices of nurses are needed to leverage that trust and be the expert resources to help patients and the general public discern fact from fiction. It is time to take a stand against the fog of fallacies and illuminate the path to evidence-based health.
Until next time,
LINDA LASKOWSKI-JONES, MS, APRN, ACNS-BC, CEN, NEA-BC, FAWM, FAAN
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, NURSING2021
REFERENCE: