The Clinical Decision Making Survey [TCDMS]

Description

The Clinical Decision Making Survey (TCDMS/CDMS) is an instrument developed to examine how nurses make clinical decisions when caring for patients who are experiencing pain. The tool was developed by Ferrell, Eberts, McCaffery, and Grant.

Its development was based on the recognition that nurses are often required to make complex decisions in pain management. These decisions may involve issues such as over-medication, under-medication, and opioid-related side effects, which can also create ethical dilemmas in clinical practice.

Purpose

The main purpose of the TCDMS is to obtain information about nurses’ decision-making processes when dealing with patients who are experiencing pain. By examining these processes, the instrument aims to provide greater insight into the factors that may influence clinical decision making.

Structure

The Clinical Decision Making Survey consists of 14 items. The provided source material does not specify the response format, scoring method, or whether the instrument includes separate subscales.

Clinical Use

The TCDMS may be used to explore the factors that influence nursing decisions in pain management. It can support research into differences in pain-management practices and help examine clinical or ethical dilemmas encountered during patient care.

The instrument may also be useful in nursing research, clinical education, and the evaluation of pain-management practices, particularly when the focus is on professional reasoning and decision-making processes.

Reliability and Validity

The provided document does not report specific information regarding the reliability, validity, or internal consistency of the TCDMS. Therefore, no numerical psychometric indicators can be reported from the available source material.

References

Ferrell, B. R., Eberts, M. T., McCaffery, M., & Grant, M. (1991). Clinical decision making and pain. Cancer Nursing, 14(6), 289–297.