Use of Think Aloud Method to Study Nursesʼ Reasoning and Decision Making in Clinical Practice Settings

Abstract

The purpose of this article was to describe the use of TA method to study nurses' reasoning and decision making in a neurosurgical setting. The feasibility and benefit of the method were explored, and examples were provided from data collected on a neurosurgical unit during the immediate post operative care of craniotomy patients. The authors hope that this report will encourage other investigators to consider using this method to examine nurses' reasoning and decision making. They also hope that future investigators will be encouraged to move TA to clinical practice settings, rather than continuing to rely on simulations, which can never fully replicate the realities of clinical practice.