Examine clinical decision-making models
A reflection graded on evidence. Each of the six objectives needs a named assignment attached, and the invitation to say which ones were not met is the part that separates a real reflection from a summary.
Editorial process
Last reviewed · August 23, 2026
A reflection that has to cite the course back to itself
The instruction says supported with examples of course materials and course assignments, and that clause converts a reflection into an evidenced argument. For each objective you claim was met, you have to point at the artefact that met it: the discussion where you applied a model to a scenario, the assignment where you worked through a coding exercise, the paper where you appraised literature on decision-making. A post that says the objectives were met and the course was valuable has no evidence in it and reads identically to every other post in the forum. Go back through the unit list before writing and pair each objective with a specific week's work, because the pairing is the content. Do that work in a list before you draft the prose, because the pairing is what you are graded on and it is easy to lose track of an objective once the post starts flowing. Six objectives means six anchors.
The second instruction is the more interesting one and most students skip it. You are explicitly invited to say which objectives were not met and why, and taking that invitation is low risk and high reward when it is done analytically rather than as a complaint. Look at the list for the objective that sits awkwardly: investigating healthcare coding systems is a different kind of learning from examining decision-making models, and in a course weighted toward clinical reasoning it is the one most likely to have been touched briefly. If that matches your experience, say so, then do what the prompt actually rewards and explain how you would meet it. Note the sixth objective too, testing models against hypothetical scenarios, because it is the one that demands a worked example rather than a claim, and reproducing a short scenario in the post is the strongest evidence available to you.
Likely learning objectives
- Pair each stated course objective with a specific piece of coursework.
- Distinguish evidenced reflection from a general statement of value.
- Assess an unmet objective analytically rather than as a complaint.
- Demonstrate a decision-making model applied to a scenario.
Assignment instructions
Read the full question
Review every instruction before using the planning guidance that follows.
NU671-8L Unit 8 DQ 1 Reflection Here are the course learning objectives for your review: Examine clinical decision-making models Investigate healthcare coding systems Identify key assessments that have the potential to impact the patient decision-making Explore scholarly literature relative to patient care decision-making requirements Integrate key concepts from clinical decision-making models to develop a personal approach to clinical decision-making Test selected clinical decision-making models with hypothetical clinical scenarios Instructions: Construct a discussion that identifies how you feel the learning objectives were met supported with examples of course materials and course assignments. For any course objectives, you feel were not met during the course please provide a discussion as to why it was not met. Examine clinical decision-making models
What the Unit 8 reflection must contain
- 01A discussion identifying how each course learning objective was met.
- 02Examples of course materials and course assignments used as support.
- 03A discussion of any objectives not met, with reasons.
- 04Coverage of all six objectives listed in the prompt.
Six objectives, six pieces of evidence
Examining decision-making models
Name the models covered and the coursework where you engaged with them.
What the assessor is likely looking for
Specific models named rather than the category.
Healthcare coding systems
Say what coding work the course contained and whether it met the objective.
What the assessor is likely looking for
An honest verdict on the objective that fits least well.
Key assessments affecting decisions
Identify assessments you learned to weight and the assignment that taught them.
What the assessor is likely looking for
Assessment findings tied to a decision they change.
Scholarly literature on decision-making
Point to the appraisal work you did and what it changed in your practice.
What the assessor is likely looking for
Literature engagement evidenced by a specific paper or activity.
Your personal approach
State the approach you have integrated and which model contributed what.
What the assessor is likely looking for
An approach that is yours rather than a model restated.
Testing a model on a scenario
Work a short hypothetical scenario through your chosen model.
What the assessor is likely looking for
A demonstration, which is what this objective asks for.
Where the decision-making models are documented
Recommended databases
- NCBI Bookshelf
- PubMed Central
- CINAHL
- HealthIT.gov
Search sequence
- 1.Re-read the unit materials before writing, so the evidence is accurate.
- 2.Look up the named decision-making models to check you are describing them correctly.
- 3.Search clinical decision support if the coding objective needs a source.
- 4.Find one scholarly source on clinical reasoning to anchor the personal approach.
Reference shortlist
These are authoritative starting points, not a ready-made bibliography. A qualified reviewer must confirm that each source fits the assignment and supports the claim beside which it is cited.
Clinical Decision Support Systems
Fundamentals of Clinical Data Science, NCBI Bookshelf · 2019
Clinical decision support systems, for the intersection of coding and decision-making.
Clinical Decision Support
Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology · 2024
The national policy framing of decision support, for the coding-systems objective.
Nursing Professional Development Evidence-Based Practice
StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf · 2023
Evidence-based practice, for the literature-appraisal objective.
Human Subjects Research Design
StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf · 2023
Research design, for how the scholarly literature objective is normally assessed.
COLLABORATION WITHIN THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM
Nursing Management and Professional Concepts, NCBI Bookshelf · 2022
Interprofessional collaboration, for where decision-making is shared in practice.
Before you post the Unit 8 reflection
Common mistakes
- Claiming objectives were met without naming the assignment that met them.
- Skipping the unmet-objectives half because it feels like criticism.
- Treating the coding-systems objective as if it were a decision-making objective.
- Leaving the sixth objective as a claim when it asks for a worked scenario.
- Writing a course evaluation rather than a reflection on your own learning.
Submission checklist
- Does every objective have a named assignment or material attached?
- Have you addressed all six, including the coding one?
- Did you answer the unmet-objective invitation with reasons?
- Is there at least one worked scenario in the post?
- Is the focus on your learning rather than on the course's design?
Use this guide to plan and review your own work. Follow your institution's rules and read Brinevia's academic-integrity policy.
Written by
Maren Caldwell
MSN, RN, CNE
Medical-surgical nursing, pharmacology and NCLEX preparation
Maren is a registered nurse with over 15 years of clinical and educational experience in medical-surgical nursing. She writes on NCLEX preparation, patient care fundamentals, pharmacology and evidence-based practice.

Reviewed by
Dr. Tessa Redmond
DNP, RN, CNE
Evidence-based practice and clinical education
Tessa is a doctorally-prepared nurse educator. She reviews Brinevia content for clinical accuracy and alignment with current evidence-based guidelines.