Critical thinking skills are essential in the nursing practice. They are used to make decisions, solve problems and analyze information. Nurses use critical thinking skills to assess and diagnose patients, plan care, intervene when needed and evaluate the outcomes of their interventions. Critical thinking skills are also used to communicate with other members of the healthcare team, as well as with patients and their families. Nurses must be able to gather information, weigh the evidence, and come to a conclusion based on all the facts.