1 CRITICAL THINKING Amy Culp, RD, LD sCULPture Nutrition & Fitness

Critical Thinking A discipline A skill An art

Purpose & Assumptions Purpose -Teach critical thinking process as it applies to completing WIC nutritional counseling Assumes audience knows: Basic nutrition and risk factors Rules and requirements of WIC programs Data collection and processing techniques used to determine eligibility and provide participants with WIC benefits The method used enables the learner to understand critical thinking.

Objectives Upon completion of the critical thinking module you should be able to:  Define critical thinking in your own words  Identify how critical thinking allows for consideration of multiple factors when problem-solving  Describe the thought process used in the critical thinking model  Identify and apply critical thinking steps to organize and synthesize information received.  Evaluate what was received and develop and prioritize a nutrition intervention plan.

Definitions A disciplined process of organizing and synthesizing information to evaluate and to prioritize the information appropriately Critical thinking must have a purpose and end, a reason for designing a response

6 Elements of Critical Thinking In all cases where critical thinking is used, the common elements are; – Analysis of information – Evaluation – Creativity

Critical Thinking Pathway Identifies and extracts pertinent information and data from all sources Discard irrelevant information Know when to seek additional information and seek it Make decisions about participant risks Develop counseling intervention plan Distinguish accurate relevant information

Activity 1 Assessing the relevance – case studies 1 & 2.

9 Three year old boy with 10 mcg/dl blood lead level - Relevant Facts  Valid MRF w/blood lead result - Relevant  Watches 4 hours of TV per day  Still drinks from bottle  Plays outside on front lawn at least 2 hours per day - Relevant  Paint chips on window sills - Relevant  Wants to eat cereal at every meal  Sometimes chews toys - Relevant

10 Mom is very concerned about weight - Relevant Facts Pre-Pregnant Ht. = 5’ 5” Pre-Pregnant Wt. = 178 lbs. (valid, relevant and risk) Date of Delivery – October 21, (valid and relevant) Wt. on October 21 = 185 lbs. (may or may not be relevant - may be PG weight) Infant’s weight at birth = 10 lbs. 9 oz. (risk, valid, but not relevant to mom’s concern) Hgb. Result from October 14 = 10.8(not relevant)

11 Mom is very concerned about weight - Relevant Facts Diagnosis of Toenail Fungus being treated with topical ointment effects walking. (relevant) No longer taking prenatal vitamin (not relevant) She states that she is allergic to eggs (not relevant) Likes whole milk (relevant)

12 Activity 2 Using critical thinking w/participants Scenario: You are working with a pregnant woman. You notice she looks worn out. She has a bruise under her eye and several bruises on one arm. She is underweight and acts unsure of herself. She does not make eye contact with you. Is she HIGH RISK?

13 When participants present multiple variables we have to consider we use a WIC Thinking Process to help us

Positive Nutrition Outcome Thinking Process WIC Thinking Process Written material Interview answers Participant history Vital statistics Mannerisms Observation Information from Participant Nutrition and Medical knowledge Life Skills Interaction ability Critical thinking Education and training Nutrition Assumptions Behavior How WIC operates What system requires for participation Personal Knowledge WIC Knowledge

15 Is to study our conceptual thought process How? Consider the thought tools we use Another way to analyze, evaluate, and create solutions

Integrating Facts Autonomous Thinking Observations Informed Opinions Active Listening Questioning Process of Critical Thinking Reach Informed Unbiased Conclusions

17 Tools we use in Critical Thinking INTEGRATING FACTS Include all relevant facts: Height Weight Hemoglobin/Hematocrit Medical conditions

18 Tools we use in Critical Thinking INFORMED OPINION It is acceptable to use opinions to form thoughts but they should be based on information you obtain from the participant not assumptions you make about them.

19 Tools we use in Critical Thinking ACTIVE LISTENING Pay close attention to what the participant is telling you is going on with them so the intervention you work on is best suited to address their need.

20 Tools we use in Critical Thinking OBSERVATIONS Observations assist us in making an assessment. However, they must be validated. Our observations help us formulate questions that can get to the heart of a matter.

21 Tools we use in Critical Thinking QUESTIONING Good questions help us uncover important information and details needed to create and effective intervention. Good questions also help establish facts and sort out what is relevant information.

22 Tools we use in Critical Thinking AUTONOMOUS THINKING This is a reliance on your own evaluation of the information to draw conclusions and design solutions.

Activity 3 Video Scenario: After the video we will discuss our analysis of the situation, evaluate what we know or need to know, and create a solution for the assessment process.