A Brief Description Of Critical Thinking And Its Role In Nursing
Nursing is more than just understanding medical procedures and assisting patients
. Extensive education and sporting a nice clean uniform just won't do the trick. Good nursing means making use of an analytical ability called 'Critical Thinking' all day, every day.
Defining 'Critical Thinking:'
'Critical thinking' is, on the whole, a series of techniques and abilities that help nurses better cope with the many requirements of their job. This is actually a kind of collage of concepts that all work together to form the analytical process necessary to assess each patient and each patient's specific situation. The components of this type of disciplined concept thinking process or technique are as follows:
Analyzing Evaluating information generated by or gathered from the patient Experience Observation Application Skillful conceptualization Reasoning Reflection Effective Communication
What can we expect when using 'Critical Thinking Concepts?'
If a nurse can manage to make simultaneous use of the above-mentioned skills in order to cope with a certain situation, the expected outcome will be the following:
Accuracy Consistency Clarity Good reasons Breadth Depth Fairness Precision Sound evidence Relevance
If you want a positive outcome you need to follow these steps:
First and foremost, you need to analyze the concept applicable to the thinking process. You must examine the situation or the problem you're facing as a whole and refrain from analyzing each element separately.
Any theory pertinent to the situation you are facing needs to be figured in.
Consider any concepts about the current situation.
Next, you should assess all practical solutions applicable to this situation, but do not limit yourself to these; you can also consider alternatives that are still in the investigative stage.
The final step is the reasoning process specific to determining the best action to take. Here you will have to compare all outcomes of a particular action, different perspectives, different conditions and reasoning.
Which type of thinking process will bring about a positive outcome?
Moral thinking Economic thinking Scientific thinking Mathematical thinking Philosophical thinking Historical thinking Anthropological thinking
You must have realized by now that nursing is a rather complex work, that involves much more than fanning about taking temperatures. All good nursing relies greatly on 'critical thinking.' The conceptual thinking of the busy nurse may look like clockwork. A good nurse makes it all seem easy. This is a mind-set that nursing acquires over time that is dictated by pure experience and skills that have been finely tuned. The critical thinking process of a good nurse feeds on the collection of skills and knowledge that form her experience. Over time the abilities of a nurse become automatic and form a routine motored by the nurse's dedication to caring for patients. The nurse then develops a conceptual process that is a combination of skilled behavior and processing information skills.
It is more than skills acquired during educational and practice years or following positive outcomes, that makes critical thinking. This is about a higher and ideally more successful intellectual capacity that the nurse uses to help her patients and assist the physician.
What influences critical thinking?
The effectiveness of the nurse's own thinking concepts will depend on her own knowledge, experience and accumulated skill base. If the nurse is dedicated to her patients and is keen on using her knowledge and skills to the benefit of those she takes care of and works with, she will be driven to gather more experience and training. Therefore, her analytical process is likely to be more successful. No one nurse has all the answers and all the skills and all the knowledge. You see, critical thinking, just like any other form of education, is a never-ending process.
by: Jerome Wallace.
Where To Get Free Nursing CEUs Nursing Scholarship Racism in Nursing Nursing Pajamas – Great Gift Idea For The Mom-To-Be Nursing Tops You Deserve Find A Nursing Program Experiences of a Nursing Student Nursing Bra Nursing Top A Nursing Concern….Nursing Shortages Nursing Personnel- NHS resignation scheme approved How To Earn A Nursing Scholarship How To Buy Nursing Bras