A nurse observes a patient with a shuffling gait and, after testing strength, concludes a mobility impairment. This is an example of

• A. Clustering cues
• B. Reflection
• C. Clinical inference
• D. Validation

Answer: (C)

Clinical inference is the process of interpreting cues and assessment data to reach a conclusion about a patient’s health status. Here, the nurse’s observation of a shuffling gait (a cue) and subsequent strength testing lead to concluding there is a mobility impairment, which is forming an inference about the patient’s function. This goes beyond just organizing data (clustering cues), thinking about one's own reasoning (reflection), or confirming a finding with another source (validation).