NRSG138 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Analgesic, Blood Test, Respiratory Tract Infection
Critical Thinking
● A process of questioning, reflecting and interpreting
● It combines logic, intuition and creativity
● It is purposeful, reasoned and goal directed
● It is thinking that assesses itself with a view to improving it
● It is self directed, self disciplined, self monitored and self corrective
● Thinking critically is one approach to turning information into knowledge
● Critical thinking is a process using reflection and analysis
● Critical thinking includes:
○ Interpretation
○ Analysis
○ Inference
○ Explanation
○ Evaluation;
○ And self regulation
Problem Solving
● Requires critical thinking to solve problems in clinical settings
● These problems are encountered by student nurses either as: simulated learning or
actual clinical situations
● In reality it means taking a further step into problem solving by stepping out a series
of steps to make a sound, safe and effective clinical decision
● Constructs such as critical thinking, clinical judgement and problem solving are
critically important to assessment of patients
● The nurse is required to apply this process in action as they encounter a problem and
immediately act on it
Critical Thinking Summary
● Purposeful, goal directed thinking process that strives to resolve patient care issues
● It is a rational process
● It is a cognitive process that increases the probability of desired outcomes
● Essential to nursing practice
Clinical Reasoning
● Used concurrently with critical thinking
● Purpose: establish potential strategies for patients to reach their desired health goals
● Clinical reasoning is an advanced form of decision making implemented in clinical
practice settings
● Characterised by rapid processing
● It incorporates pattern recognition and hypothetico-deductive reasoning
● Disciplined, creative and reflective approach
● It is implemented by expert and intuitive practitioners
Key Elements of Clinical Reasoning
● Purposeful problem solving strategy
● Based on assumptions
● Conducted from some point of view
● Based on data, information and evidence
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Document Summary
It is thinking that assesses itself with a view to improving it. It is self directed, self disciplined, self monitored and self corrective. A process of questioning, reflecting and interpreting. Thinking critically is one approach to turning information into knowledge. Critical thinking is a process using reflection and analysis. Requires critical thinking to solve problems in clinical settings. These problems are encountered by student nurses either as: simulated learning or actual clinical situations. In reality it means taking a further step into problem solving by stepping out a series of steps to make a sound, safe and effective clinical decision. Constructs such as critical thinking, clinical judgement and problem solving are critically important to assessment of patients. The nurse is required to apply this process in action as they encounter a problem and immediately act on it. Purposeful, goal directed thinking process that strives to resolve patient care issues.
