Critical Thinking Questions For Nurses

Nursing school offers a multitude of material to master and high expectations for your performance.But in order to learn in a way that will actually equip you to become an excellent nurse, you have to go beyond just memorizing terms.

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Helping new nurses base their actions on evidence New graduates entering the nursing world may breathe a sigh of relief that their classes are done.

But according to Shelley Cohen, RN, BS, CEN, and Kelly A.

You need to apply an analytical mindset to understanding course material.

One way for students to begin implementing critical thinking is by applying the nursing process to their line of thought, according to Vest.

But without the ability to think clearly and make rational decisions, those skills alone won’t get you very far—you need to think critically as well.

“Nurses are faced with decision-making situations in patient care, and each decision they make impacts patient outcomes.When analyzing a new graduate's ability to think critically, Del Bueno identified the following four questions that one should ask: Does the nurse take the right action for the right reason?After evaluating where students are currently at in terms of critical-thinking skills, said Cohen, look at the attributes of a critical thinker. 4 of the PDF of this issue, which you can copy, laminate, and distribute to attendees of a critical-thinking class.) "When a preceptor or the educator is working and meeting with the new grad, I think these attributes be come absolutely critical on making a decision on how well this new grad is working with your patient plan, your patient assignment, and incorporating critical thinking," said Cohen."Our job is to nurture and encourage not just critical thinking in a new grad, but in everybody who's delivering nursing care to your patient," she said. The nursing profession tends to attract those who have natural nurturing abilities, a desire to help others and a knack for science or anatomy.The card also contains examples of when it is advisable to call a physician (such as when there is risk-management potential)."[Nurses] so often feel they need a permission slip to pick up the phone and call the doctor," said Cohen.“It needs to be a lived experience in the learning environment.” Nursing students often find that there are multiple correct solutions to a problem.The key to nursing is to select the “the most correct” solution—one that will be the most efficient and best fit for that particular situation.After executing the plan, critical thinkers reflect on the situation to figure out if it was effective and if it could have been done better.As you can see, critical thinking is a transferable skill that can be leveraged in several facets of your life. We spoke with several experts to learn why critical thinking skills in nursing are so crucial to the field, the patients and the success of a nurse.