International nursing review
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Physiological instability leading to clinical deterioration often precedes cardiopulmonary arrest. Nurses, who have the most frequent patient contact and responsibility for ongoing monitoring of patients, play a crucial role in recognizing and responding to clinical deterioration. The importance of education in supporting such a role has been addressed in numerous studies. ⋯ The review has highlighted important aspects of patient safety in clinical deterioration that could be further addressed by educational strategies targeting the role of ward nurses. These strategies include: utilizing clinical decision-making models to develop nurses' decision making skills; developing a standardized tool for systematic nursing assessment and management of clinical deterioration; incorporating training in clinical deterioration as a core competence of pre-registered nursing education; providing vital signs training to nursing assistants; and conducting more rigorous studies to evaluate the effectiveness of the educational programmes.