Critical thinking Is not perfect

Critical thinking involves questioning with meaning Judgments made on facts (evidence) not assumptions Avoid criticizing just for the sake of having your own way Decisions are based on the right thing to do rather than emotions or a need to “save face” Be willing to consider other ideas Realize there may be more than one right way to do something Realize there may not be a perfect solution

Ways to challenge you to think critically Anticipate questions that the patient or instructor may ask Ask yourself is there more that you could do Strive for objectively …keep an open mind and avoid drawing conclusions in advance Compare with something similar to help you understand Learn from your mistakes. Fix them if you can. Do not hide an error! Someone’s life may be an stake!

Do the “Attitude Evaluation” Handout

ATTITUDE INFLUENCES THINKING Critical thinkers are humble and recognize they don’t have all the answers Self-confident: express ability to think through problems and find solutions Inquisitive: seek reasons, explanations and new information Open and fair minded: tolerance for other viewpoints Logical and intuitive: draws reasonable conclusions, uses intuition as a guide to search for evidence Reflective and self-corrective: observant for mistakes and identify ways to prevent them

Critical thinking answers the question: “How can we do this better?”

Group Discussion – critical thinking 6 questions Group Discussion – critical thinking

Question 1 A 14 year old patient has been diagnosed with type I, juvenile-onset, insulin- dependent diabetes mellitus. It is important for her to understand the disease so that she can be independent in managing it. When you bring the patient an orange and crackers for her afternoon snack, she bursts into tears. She explains she is so hungry that her stomach has been hurting all day. Where are the patient’s current needs according to Maslow? What nursing interventions/nursing diagnosis are appropriate for this patient?

Question 2 A patient has been exhibiting increasing confusion and has started pacing the halls, wringing her hands. Staff reports she was seen picking up “bugs” off her bed. The nurse placed a call to the doctor twice in 2 days because of concerns with the escalation of psychotic features of her confusion. The physician has not returned your calls. The patient’s daughter calls from out of state to ask what the doctor has ordered for the patient’s condition. Discuss and then choose to role play the characters listed below Patient, nurse, doctor, daughter

Question 3 The following memo is posted in the employee lounge: “We are expecting a bunch of surveying people to come to the nursing home to check us out in the next couple of months. Be on your best behavior because a good survey means we won’t have to close down” I.M. Lost, Director of Nursing Discuss and rewrite this memo, what would you include in your action plan to prepare for the state survey?

Question 4 You are a new LPN that is new to the floor for less than a month. When you come into work, the nurse manager asks you to work with a CNA on a different unit. The manager says the RN called out sick and needs you to be the head of the unit. The managers says they will be available to assist you with IV sticks. Comment on the following questions: 1. Should you accept this assignment? 2. If you accept the assignment, are there any considerations you need to clarify with the manager? Then select people to act the following roles: The new LPN The CNA on the unit The nurse manager

Question 5 After completing a nursing assessment for a patient admitted with abdominal pain of unknown origin, discuss the process that will guide developing the plan of care