CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS IN NURSING STUDENTS PROGRESSING THROUGH A NURSING CURICULUM.
Contributors: Ball State University.
Published: 1989
Number of pages: 151
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: Are there differences among freshmen, sophomore, junior and senior baccalaureate nursing students in levels of critical thinking skills? What demographic variables are related to critical thinking?.

Critical thinking was equated with the problem-solving process in the nursing process and defined as the ability to collect and interpret facts, develop problem statements, identify interventions and evaluate the outcomes.

A stratified random sample of nursing students (N = 114) from freshman, sophomore, junior and senior classes completed the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal and a demographic questionnaire.

No significant differences were found among the four grade levels in critical thinking skills (F = 2.506, p =.0628). Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) verbal and quantitative scores and grade point averages (r =.55,.30,.41 respectively) were positively correlated to critical thinking (p =.05). Age, total number of credit hours completed, credit hours completed in physical/earth/life sciences, behavior and social sciences, humanities and fine arts, professional nursing and general electives were also statistically significantly related (r = $<$.30, indicates little practical significance) to critical thinking. SAT verbal, grade point average, humanities and fine arts entered a regression equation to collectively account for 41% of the variance in critical thinking (p =$<$.001).

Either (a) critical thinking skills are not increasing, (b) the WGCTA does not measure the critical thinking skills used by nurses or (c) nursing curricula may not develop critical thinking skills in nursing students. Using an analysis of the uniqueness of the nursing process, nurse educators should develop an instrument that measures the critical thinking "process" component of the nursing process as well as the "logic" component with items specific to the nursing knowledge base.

If critical thinking skills are important to nursing practice, then curriculum, content, teaching methodologies and learning experiences should increase critical thinking skills in nursing students. Longitudinal studies need to be conducted to determine what curriculum content, teaching methodologies and learning experiences are most effective in increasing the critical thinking skills in nursing students.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-05, Section: B, page: 1849.

Thesis (D.ED.)--BALL STATE UNIVERSITY, 1989.

School code: 0013.