AN EXPLORATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DIAGNOSTIC REASONING AND CRITICAL THINKING IN NONTRADITIONAL STUDENTS IN NURSING (NURSING EDUCATION).
Contributors: Boston College.
Published: 1994
Number of pages: 140
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Education, Higher.
Description: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between diagnostic reasoning and critical thinking in non-traditional students of nursing across a three year graduate program of study.

The two research questions addressed in the study were: (1) Is there a change in relationship between diagnostic reasoning and critical thinking in non-nurse college graduates across a three year graduate program of study? (2) Is there a change in the relationship between selected variables (GRE score, GPA, GPA in non-nursing and nursing, presence or absence of a science major) and diagnostic reasoning and/or critical thinking ability in non-nurse college graduates across a three year graduate program of study?.

This research utilized a cross-sectional panel study design. Subjects (n = 98) completed a Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA), U-Diagnose instrument to evaluate diagnostic reasoning (Arnold, 1988) and a questionnaire.

No statistically significant relationships emerged when WGCTA was correlated with diagnostic reasoning for students in each year of the program or the total sample (r = $-$.01, n = 96, ns). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) demonstrated that critical thinking and diagnostic reasoning scores did not differ significantly across three years of the program.

A significant difference was found in WGCTA for students without a science background (p = $\leq$.05). The presence or absence of a science major was not significantly associated with diagnostic reasoning. A positive relationship was seen between critical thinking and all concomitant variables with GRE verbal, math and analytic most significant.

There were no statistically significant differences in diagnostic reasoning scores for students with more years of education, science courses, higher GRE and GPA scores. GRE verbal, GPA in nursing and total years of education emerged as predictors for critical thinking ability (p =.0001).

The results suggest that critical thinking and diagnostic reasoning are not related when reasoning is measured using the U-Diagnose instrument. High, consistent scores on WGCTA suggest that students enter as critical thinkers. High GRE analytic and verbal scores may serve as a relative measure of critical thinking in the admissions process.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 55-11, Section: B, page: 4787.

Thesis (PH.D.)--BOSTON COLLEGE, 1994.

School code: 0016.