The importance of clinical reasoning in differential diagnosis for non-medical prescribers, nurses and pharmacists

The National Health Service (NHS) is under severe pressure to delivery high quality patient care. Increased demand, coupled with shortages in workforce, have led to health care policies seeking to empower patients and fully utilise the skill sets of all healthcare professionals, and in particular those professions allied to medicine. This has led to an expansion in roles and responsibilities to complement and augment that of doctors. To ensure allied healthcare professionals are able to perform such duties there is a need to ensure they possess the right knowledge and skills. This is most evident around autonomous practice and making clinical decisions, which have historically not been taught. The need to make wise decisions based on sound reasoning is critical. This article looks at how ‘novice’ practitioners can develop such skills.