Making Inferences

Why This Matters for Nursing: Patients don't always tell you everything directly. A patient who says "I'm fine" while grimacing in pain is communicating something different. Making inferences—reading between the lines—is a critical clinical skill.

What You Need to Know

An inference is a logical conclusion based on evidence + prior knowledge. It's NOT directly stated in the text—you figure it out.

The Inference Formula:

Text Evidence + Background Knowledge = Inference