The role of tacit knowledge in problem solving in the clinical setting

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to emphasise the important function of so-called ‘tacit knowledge’ in problem solving in the clinical setting. While education theorists recognise tacit knowledge to be an important variable in information processing and decision making, its relevance to nurse education has not yet been sufficiently appreciated. To illustrate the importance of ‘tacit knowledge’ in prescribing health care and to draw out its implications for nurse education and nurse practice, reference will be made to a study conducted by the author in five public hospitals in the South Western region of Sydney in 1985. The study illustrates how ‘tacit knowledge’ can play a role in determining the likelihood of a patient contracting pressure sores. On the basis of this study it is suggested that nurse education acknowledge the importance of ‘tacit knowledge’ in Nurse Education curricula. This in turn should develop the practising nurse's skill in recognising the importance of integrating ‘tacit knowledge’ in the decision process about patient care.