Abstract
Patient deterioration in hospital settings remains a major global health concern, with current Early Warning Scores (EWSs) often failing to capture subtle clinical cues. Nurses' intuitive assessments, based on observable signs such as pallor, confusion, or sweating, are increasingly recognised as critical in identifying early signs of deterioration. This doctoral project builds on the Nurse Intuition Patient Deterioration Scale (NIPDS), a validated tool that quantifies nurse worry through clinical cues. While promising, the NIPDS faces limitations in terms of generalisability in a diverse group of patients, implementation, and applicability in a paediatric population.
The project aims to revise and validate the NIPDS for diverse adult populations, assess its predictive accuracy, explore the influence of nurse education and experience, and develop and validate a paediatric NIPDS. A mixed-method approach will be used, including systematic reviews, consensus studies, multicentre cohort studies, and implementation evaluations. The research will be conducted across Flemish hospitals and will involve nurses, paediatricians, and clinical leaders.
By integrating nurse intuition into clinical workflows, this project seeks to improve early detection of patient deterioration, reduce adverse events, and promote equitable care.
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