How Pediatric Nurses' Reasoning Skills Affect Quality Nursing Care

This study aims to investigate the relationship between pediatric nurses' hypothetical and creative reasoning skills and the quality of the nursing care they provide. The research is grounded in the premise that advanced cognitive reasoning capabilities are critical for delivering high-quality, patient-centered care in pediatric settings. A descriptive, cross-sectional research design will be employed. The study population consists of pediatric nurses currently employed in various healthcare institutions across Turkey. Data will be collected through a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Hypothetical and Creative Reasoning Scale for Nurses and the Quality of Nursing Care Scale. These tools will assess the nurses' cognitive reasoning skills and perceived nursing care quality. Statistical analyses will be conducted to determine correlations between nurses' reasoning skills and the quality of care provided. This research will also explore whether socio-demographic characteristics (e.g., age, education level, years of experience) are associated with reasoning ability or care quality. The findings are expected to contribute to the body of knowledge in nursing education and practice by emphasizing the importance of cognitive reasoning in nursing quality, particularly in pediatric settings.