Clinical reasoning and models of practice

Healthcare practice operates in increasingly more complex, diverse and uncertain environments. Patients and clients of health care are better informed, technology is advancing, and healthcare practice is constantly changing. It is important in this context to adopt an informed and critical stance to practice. Being aware of the interests that drive and frame practice and practice models and understanding the way these models influence practice actions and clinical reasoning are necessary aspects for practitioners to be responsible and critically competent in demanding work environments. In this chapter, we examine different practice models and propose advantages in relevant contexts of adopting a critical practice model. The importance of critique in today's challenging and dynamic healthcare environments is linked to practitioners reclaiming their human agency and critical reflection capacity in practice models that underpin practice reasoning, action and reflexive review.