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To investigate the decision‐making skills of secondary care nurse practitioners compared with those of medical doctors.

A literature review was conducted, searching for articles published from 1990 ‐ 2012. The review found that nurse practitioners are key to the modernization of the National Health Service. Studies have shown that compared with doctors, nurse practitioners can be efficient and cost‐effective in consultations.

Qualitative research design.

The information processing theory and think aloud approach were used to understand the cognitive processes of 10 participants (5 doctors and 5 nurse practitioners). One nurse practitioner was paired with one doctor from the same speciality and they were compared using a structured scenario‐based interview. To ensure that all critical and relevant cues were covered by the individual participating in the scenario, a reference …