When I was in midwifery school one of the hardest things to learn how to make clinical decisions. My schooling up until that point had emphasized logic and reason. We were to make decisions based on a clear calculation of fact. But as a midwife we also have to use intuition. Dr. Daniel Kahneman in his 2008 lecture discusses 2 systems of the brain. System 1 uses intuition; system 2 uses reasoning. But how do you learn intuition? Kahneman (2008) reflects that with practice and time, skilled performance migrates from system 2 to system 1. It is only with repetition and exposure can expert clinicians shed the scaffolding of system 2 and make clinical decisions based on an informed system 1. Teaching system 1 thinking is not possible, it takes time and practice, expecting students to perform at this level is unreasonable (anyone using system 2 should know that!).
You bring up very important points, how does one learn intuition and certainly when you are new in your practice this is certainly a challenge. But at the same time relying in intution is not always a good thing. This is where CDS systems and evidence based practice is critical in clinical practice. Very nicely stated!
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