Critical Thinking
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Transcript of Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking
Presented byBeth Edwards, RN, EMT-P
Clinical Education CoordinatorSMH Staff Development
Objectives
• To discuss reasons why we should use critical thinking
• Define the meaning of critical thinking• Discuss applications to nursing practice• Describe traits of a critical thinker• Discuss factors that impede or enhance
critical thinking• Discuss how to improve critical thinking
skills
Why Should We Critically Think?
• Widening Responsibilities as nurses
• Patients are increasingly ill
• Patients have multi-system health problems
• Complex working environments
• Rapid changes in healthcare
What is Critical Thinking?
• Critical Thinking has many different definitions
• Difficult to measure in nursing school
• Related to competent nursing practice
• Closely associated with nursing process, clinical judgment & problem solving
“Critical”• The word critical comes from the Greek
word "kritikos," meaning "critic." To be critical means to question; to make sense of something; to analyze a situation. Although for many the word critical has become synonymous with negativity, it really is a positive opportunity to reach a favorable outcome.
• Critical, as defined in Webster's Dictionary, gives us some words to associate. These are "crucial, decisive, indispensable, and vital." It also is defined as "exercising or involving careful judgment or judicious evaluation."
“Thinking”• Thinking can be divided into directed
and non-directed thinking. – Non-directed thinking
• when we engage our brains in habitual activities like grooming or driving to and from work.
– Directed thinking • goal-oriented and purposeful• searching for answers & meaning, requires a
conscious mental effort• involves observation, memory, inquiry, interpretation,
analysis, & evaluation skills.
• Webster's Dictionary: thinking is synchronous with "to have as an opinion," "to have as an expectation," "to mediate," "to form a mental picture of," and "to subject to the processes of logical thought."
Putting them together
• Putting the two terms together would indicate a mental process of putting together crucial, decisive, indispensable and vital information to provide careful judgment and judicious evaluation in formulating an opinion, mental picture, expectation and/or decision.
Definition
• From the Delphi Study of American Philosophical Association:– Critical thinking is a “purposeful, self-
regulatory judgment which results in interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and inference as well as the explanation of the rationale upon which the judgment is based. Critical thinking is reasonable, rational, reflective, autonomous thinking that inspires attitude of inquiry.”
What else?
• Reasonable, reflective thinking focused on what to believe or do
• The tendency to engage in an activity with reflective skepticism
• Purposeful, goal-directed thinking• Purposeful, self-regulatory judgment• The art of thinking about thinking while
thinking to make thinking better
What it is not!
• Common sense • Spontaneous
responses • Regular or
“normal” thinking • Being critical or
judgmental • Disorganized • Task-oriented
• Working in isolation • Being competitive • Inability to
communicate with others
• Lack of concern with motives, facts, underlying reasons
• Emotion-driven
How does this translate into nursing?
• Reflective, reasonable thinking about nursing problems without a single solution
• Clinical decision making or diagnostic reasoning or Professional judgment
• Reflective practice
Why is it essential to be a critical thinker in nursing?
• To manage complex dilemmas
• For empowerment and liberation
• To exchange views and information
• To broaden or change our thinking and learning
• For self-actualization
What are some factors that impede or enhance critical
thinking?• Moral development (fair mindedness) • Age, self confidence • Dislikes, prejudices, biases • Interpersonal skills • Reading and writing skills • Anxiety, stress, fatigue • Time factors • Environmental distractions or comforts • Lack of motivation or positive reinforcement • Past experiences • Support systems—mentors, coaches, colleagues,
family, friends
What are some key assumptions for critical thinking?
• It is rational • It involves conceptualization • It requires reflection • It is a nonlinear process that expands problem
solving and nursing process • It involves both cognitive and affective skills • The skills can be taught, learned, and
measured • The skills need to be practiced and reinforced • It involves creative thinking • It requires basic and advanced nursing
knowledge • It is both a process and an outcome • It is embedded in our practice
Are you a critical thinker?
Do you:• Explore underlying thinking and
assumptions • Base judgments on facts and reasoning • Suspend judgment until you have all the
data • Support views with evidence • Evaluate the credibility of sources • Turn mistakes into learning opportunities • Ask “Why?” and “Why not?” • Be open to possibilities • Seek themes, patterns, trends • Follow hunches
What are some traits of a critical thinker?
• Truth-seeking – courageous about asking questions, honest and objective in pursuing inquiry
• Open-mindedness – sensitive to own bias, respect rights of others to hold differing opinions
• Analyst – alert to potentially problematic situations
• Systematic – organized, orderly, focused, diligent inquiry
• Self-confidence – trust in own reasoning • Inquisitiveness – intellectual curiosity, values
being well informed • Mature – disposed to make reflective judgments • Reflection, Perseverance, Appropriate
perspective, Creativity, Flexibility, IntuitionAPA Delphi Study
What are some cognitive skills of critical thinkers?
• Interpret – categorization, decoding significance, clarifying meaning
• Analyze – examining ideas, detecting and analyzing arguments
• Evaluate – assessing claims and arguments • Infer – question evidence, imagine
alternatives, drawing conclusions • Explain – stating results, justifying
procedures, presenting arguments • Self-monitor - self-examination and
correction • Information seeking, Discriminating,
Predicting, Applying Standards, Logical reasoning
APA Delphi Study
Who can critically think?
• Anyone can and everyone should!• There is no research to support that a
professional program of study increases critical thinking ability.
• We can all critically think within our roles.
We must think about our thinking!
• Critical thinking requires you to challenge your assumptions and think about consequences.
• Think about it! • Pull from past experiences and
knowledge base to expect and anticipate.
• Consciously THINK about a situation and act on it.
How do we improve on our critical thinking skills?
• Communication! • Reflection!• After any incident or shift, meet with your
co-workers and ask these questions:– What went well?– If you could do it over again, what would you
do differently?– What are your plans for improvement that will
help you be more successful in the future?– What help do you need to meet your goals?
Related Concepts• Mind Map• Logic and reasoning • Creativity • Intuition • Emotional intelligence • Problem solving • Nursing process • Decision making • Clinical or diagnostic reasoning • Reflective practice • Clinical judgment
Putting the pieces together (Mind Map)
• Begin with Triggers or a particular event or dilemma or complex problem
• Go to Starting Points or types of thinking that help us begin the process, i.e. brainstorming, intuition, thinking aloud, reflective thinking
• Build on the Scaffolds or knowledge, skills and expertise that supports our ability to think critically
• Lead into the Processes which involve different types of thinking that contribute to critical thinking, i.e. convergent and divergent thinking, reflection, nursing process, problem solving, creative thinking, diagnostic reasoning
• Follow with Outcomes which may include problem resolution, alternative solutions, clinical judgments, reflective practice
• Evaluate Triggers • Continuous and iterative loop—A Mind Map for
Critical Thinking in Nursing
Final Reflections• Critical thinking is both a process and an
outcome • Critical thinking involves reflection in knowing
and in action and self monitoring • Critical thinking is composed of specific traits or
dispositions and cognitive skills. • Nursing utilizes critical thinking as diagnostic
reasoning and professional or clinical judgment.
• Nursing supports critical thinking in Reflective Practice
• Critical thinking in nursing is based on a triggering event or situation, a starting point, scaffolds, processes, and outcomes that make up a continuous feedback loop
References
• Cise, J., Wilson, C., Thie, M. (2004). A qualitative tool for critical thinking skill development. Nurse Educator, 29(4). Retrieved May 8, 2005 from Ovid database.
• University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center
College of Nursing (2005). What is critical thinking? Retrieved May 23, 2005 from http://hsc.unm.edu/consg/conct/whatis.shtml#translate.
• Nichols, M. (2003). Critical thinking process. Retrieved May 23, 2005 from http://www.netce.com/course.asp?course=3119.