Artificial intelligence to support clinical judgement in nursing: a scoping review protocol

José Alves; Rita Azevedo; Rúben Encarnação; Ana Marques; Paulo Alves

doi:10.62741/ahrj.v2i4.73

Authors

José Alves Catholic University of Portugal, Faculty of Health Sciences and Nursing, Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Health (CIIS), Portugal https://orcid.org/0009-0004-5809-3788
Rita Azevedo Catholic University of Portugal, Faculty of Health Sciences and Nursing, Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Health (CIIS), Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8499-8856
Rúben Encarnação Catholic University of Portugal, Faculty of Health Sciences and Nursing, Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Health (CIIS), Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2666-7391
Ana Marques Catholic University of Portugal, Faculty of Health Sciences and Nursing, Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Health (CIIS), Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3603-2656
Paulo Alves Catholic University of Portugal, Faculty of Health Sciences and Nursing, Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Health (CIIS), Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6348-3316

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62741/ahrj.v2i4.73

Keywords:

Nursing, Artificial intelligence, Judgement, Clinical Decision-making

Abstract

Introduction: As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly explored in healthcare, its potential to influence nurses’ cognitive processes—including assessment, reasoning, and decision-making—has garnered growing attention. Nevertheless, the extent to which these technologies effectively support clinical judgment in nursing remains insufficiently understood, particularly regarding epistemological alignment, practical implementation, and documented outcomes.

Objectives: To map and characterize the existing literature on how artificial intelligence technologies have been developed, implemented, or evaluated to support clinical judgment in nursing.

Methodology: This scoping review follows the JBI guidelines and addresses the question: How has artificial intelligence been used to support clinical judgment in nursing practice? The search will include multiple international databases and grey literature, with no language restrictions, and will cover studies published from January 2015 to June 2025. Article selection will be based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria aligned with the JBI methodology. Eligible studies will include those involving nurses or nursing students in which artificial intelligence supports cognitive, interpretative, or reasoning processes related to clinical judgment. The final review will be reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines.

Conclusion: The proposed scoping review will systematically map and synthesize evidence on how artificial intelligence supports clinical judgment in nursing. It will analyze the types of artificial intelligence technologies used, the cognitive processes targeted, and the contexts of application. By identifying key findings and gaps, this review aims to clarify the potential of artificial intelligence to enhance nurses’ reasoning and decision-making, informing future research and practice.

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