Developing a Plan for Critical Thinking
Human beings are unique, and our preference for learning is associated with our capabilities and skills. We all learn differently, for example, some of us are visual learners and some of us are hands-on learners. Many times we learn by a combination of methods. Our personal type of intelligence is also different and a combination of types is often utilized. Understanding how you learn, your relationship with others and self-awareness is the ability to accept and promote change. Change through critical thinking and evidence is essential to enhance quality practice and patient care. Kamhi, (2011) as cited in Finn, (2011) stated that critical thinking should be viewed as a goal and not a by-product of learning.
The purpose of this paper is to reflect on a current pattern of critical thinking. I will demonstrate how my personal type of intelligence has changed. I will discuss why enhancing my current thinking process promotes a positive change in my work environment. Finally, this paper will show the steps necessary to make changes in practice.
Personal Type of Intelligence
My critical thinking and habits of the mind needed to be developed. I associate with the baby boomer generation, we must think differently in order for change to occur. We must think beyond our comfort zone in order to improve the quality and the care of our patients (Rubenfeld & Scheffer, 2010). According to Rubenfeld and Scheffer, (2010) baby boomers are expected to have confidence in their thinking and have strong predicting and discriminating abilities. However, baby boomers may lack open-minded thought about change. Technology is one of the changes that require an open-mind...
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...lf-awareness or as I have now come to understand the word metacognition is not only necessary for personal growth but it is instrumental in nursing practice. Understanding our thinking styles and personal types of intelligence is necessary for positive change not only in our practice but our work environment. I believe Finn, (2011), best summed up how thinking styles are relevant to critical thinking. Finn pointed out that if our thinking style remains stagnate or status quo, adhering to the belief of ‘this is just how it is done’ may not lead to the best practice for our patients’. Reflection allows us to understand our behaviors associated with critical thinking. Self-awareness provides the ability to be involved in the process of change and the ability to change our personal thoughts, beliefs and behaviors relevant to a situation (Krupat et al., 2011).
Critical thinking occurs when a person thinks about a subject or problem to where the improvement of the quality of ones own thinking using skillful analogies, then assessing and reconstructing them. A few important skills that is learned through critical thinking is learning how to discipline oneself in thinking, understanding the world as well as learning themselves. Critical thinking in the business world has many benefits in the process of decision making by employers as well as employees.
Critical Thinking is the thought process where the client’s problem is defined, evidence based practice in caring is examined, and then choices for the delivery of patient’s care are made.
Throughout this program, this author has learned the various ways critical thinking is utilized in nursing. This applies to developing care maps, Kaplan testing, using the nursing process, medication administration, and patient care. Kaplan testing has been the hardest aspect of thinking critically for this author. However, with practice and remediation, this author has learned how to critically think through the questions in order to choose the best possible answer. In correlation, this author now understands that thinking critically leads to effective, high-quality care and patient outcomes by understanding the needs of patients and treating those patients with evidence-based care.
Rubenfeld, M. G., & Scheffer, K. B. (2015). Critical thinking tactics for nurses: Achieving the IOM competencies (3rd ed.). [VitalSource Bookshelf Version]. http://dx.doi.org/9781284059571
Conclusively, critical thinking abilities and expertise apply to thinking, reading, speaking, writing, and listening. Nurses need to decode a thought accurately, clearly, quickly and logically for other people to understand what they are saying or writing without any misunderstanding. Therefore, it undertakes a special individual to be a professional nurse. It undertakes the skill to take a theory, idea or problem, assess it, resolve it, as well as lucidly communicate it. This is one of the challenges of nursing; reflective, critical practice based upon the sound thinking of intellectual minds dedicated to safe, efficient patient care. One cannot assume or guess solutions as, those solutions have to be based upon specific principles, and be able to defend one’s thinking with proof.
Caring promotes patient health, individual growth, and stimulates coping skills, and therefore must always be emphasized in holistic patient care (Zimmerman & Phillips). In addition to its value in patient care it is also a central component of a nurses critical thinking process (Zimmerman & Phillips, 2000). “According to Brookfield (1987), critical thinking is a process of active inquiry which combines reflective analysis with informed action and has an emotive or affective component that is central to this process”(Zimmerman & Phillips, 2000, p. 223). Thus, when a nurse is aware of their patient’s holistic needs they are better able to care for their patient and in doing so enhance their critical thinking abilities (Zimmerman &
According to Bandman & Bandman (1995), critical thinking is defined as the rational examination of ideas, inferences, assumptions, principles, arguments, conclusions, issues, statements, beliefs and actions. In this subject ‘Critical Thinking in Nursing’ has emphasized critical thinking as an essential nursing skill and its definition of critical thinking have evolved over the years. In short, the general definition of critical thinking is self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored and self-corrective thinking. Every nurses must cultivate rigorous standards for critical thinking, however they cannot avoid completely the situatedness and structures of the clinical traditions and practices. They must make decisions and act quickly according to
Critical thinking and knowledge are the foundation of nursing practice, and the most essential elements in providing quality nursing care. Nu...
The author Vincent Ruggiero defines critical thinking in his book Beyond Feelings: A Guide to Critical Thinking, as a “search for answers, a quest.” It is the idea that one does not accept claims, ideas, and arguments blindly, but questions and researches these things before making a decision on them. From what I learned in class, critical thinking is the concept of accepting that there are other people and cultures in this world that may have different opinions. It is being able to react rationally to these different opinions.
Yildirim, B. & Ozkahraman, S. (2011). Critical Thinking in Nursing and Learning Styles. 1. Retrieved from http://www.ijhssnet.com/journals/Vol_1_No_18_Special_Issue/15.pdf
One of the most essential aspects of doing a job well, no matter what job it is, is the ability to think critically about a situation. Finn (2011) defines critical thinking as “the ability and willingness to assess claims and make objective judgments on the basis of well-supported reasons and evidence rather than emotion or anecdote”. The difference between assessing a certain situation critically and assessing it without any evidence to corroborate your claims is that when you look at something critically, you are using your ability to “come up with the alternative explanations for events, think of research findings and apply new knowledge to social and personal problems” (Finn, 2011). When you can come up with other explanations using evidence, you can also create an alternative way of enhancing the situation. Critical thinking skills are especially important to nurses in a fast-paced setting. Nursing is a very demanding and rewarding field to enter into; it becomes enjoyable when you are good at it. In order to be good at their jobs, nurses need to learn the skills required to think critically and also, relate those skills to their everyday routines. This is known as evidence-based practice. Evidence-based practice is defined as “using the best scientific evidence available to guide clinical decisions and interventions with the goals of fostering self-management skills and improving health outcomes” (Miller, 2011). This paper examines the skills required for critical thinking, how to learn these skills, and how to apply them in clinical settings. (Miller, 2011; Finn, 2011; Noonan, 2011; Lunney, 2010; Wangensteen, Johansson, Bjorkstrom & Nordstrom, 2010; Chitty & Black, 2011).
Curiosity is an important component, allowing one to think critically. A curious person will question the world around him or her, opening his or her mind to think critically. Numerous scholars have tried to define critical thinking and reflective practice; the definitions are too broad to pinpoint. Nosich identified three scholarly definitions of critical thinking. Scholars define critical thinking consists of being able to critic and judge statements that one states and to question the belief stated (Nosich 2012, p. 4.) Reflective practice is applying critical thinking to the workforce. Individuals may question if the client is receiving proper care and how to improve serve to the client (Maclean, 2010, p.9). In this paper I will discuss
What is not easily recognized is the fact that the very fabric of life is dependent on the ability to think properly and make good decisions. Improper thinking is costly in the quality of life and monetarily. The result of a critical thinker that has worked to cultivate proper thinking skills includes: the ability to ask vital questions and to identify problems with clarity. A critical thinker also collects relevant information while effectively interpreting it, thinks with an open mind, uses alternative systems of thought, and understands how to communicate while working to formulate a strong solution. In summary, critical thinking is self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. Above all else, the standards of excellence are rigorous, and it entails the prospect of overcoming the challenge of sociocentrism and
Critical thinking is a process of applying various skills to analyze information. Critical thinking uses rationality to distinguish between emotion and fact. This paper will discuss the definition of critical thinking, and the skills it takes to think critically. It will also provide an example of critical thinking applied to my current working environment. Finally this paper will discuss the importance and benefits of critical thinking in the decision-making processes.
Critical thinking regularly involves the capability to interpret information and make knowledgeable decisions based on such information. Additionally, problem solving is frequently theorised as the use of critical thinking skills towards the effective solution of a specific problem or towards a specific end goal. Critical thinking is the disciplined art of ensuring that you use the best thinking you are capable of in any set of circumstances. The general goal of thinking is to figure out some situation” (Critical Thinking, 2001, p.1), solve some problem, answer some questions, or resolve some issue. It also is a process in which a person pursuits reliable and pertinent information about the world. Critical thinking is often described as reasonable, ruminative, trustworthy, and a well-practiced form of thinking that assists people with deciding what they should believe in and what actions should be taken. A practiced critical thinker will ask good questions, collects pertinent data, categorizes common characteristics, logically reasons with the new data and then he or she will come to a trustworthy and dependable conclusion. Critical thinking makes use of many processes and procedures. Some processes include but is not limited to asking questions, making judgments, and identifying