NOTE: To change the image on this slide, select the picture and delete it. Then click the Pictures icon in the placeholder to insert your own image. CRITICAL THINKING IN NURSING Chrysta Bates, RN, MSN Samuel Miller, RN, MSN,

Objectives: At completion of this presentation, the learner will be able to:  Define critical thinking generally and as it applies to the nursing discipline  Identify activities that promote critical thinking  Analyze the relationship between critical thinking in nursing academia and nursing clinical practice

The Story Behind This Presentation One day a very frustrated Director of Nursing at a small active rural hospital and a Operations Consultant got into a conversation about the best way to teach nurses how to take the clinical information they learn in school and the reasoning skills needed out on the floor and combine the two into a common sense way to address clinical problems. It was discovered during this conversation that both had a common passion concerning the best way this could be taught to both new and experienced nurses. The result of this conversation and the many more which followed was the development of a fast paced interactive program using active case studies and basic clinical reasoning skills to jumpstart the critical thinking process of nurses in all settings. Welcome to our conversation…..

Who Are You ? What’s Your Area of Practice ?

WHAT IS CRITICAL THINKING??

Critical Thinking Defined  Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness (Scriven & Paul, 1987).

Task Focused Nursing

Critical Thinking in Nursing  Critical thinking skills give nurses the ability to function independently of the medical provider  Defines nursing as a discipline

What Part of The Brain is Responsible for Critical Thinking? Critical thinking and abstract reasoning are primarily controlled by the pre-frontal and frontal lobes of the brain

Back to Basics…

What Types of Activities Stimulate the Pre-Frontal and Frontal Lobes of The Brain?  Puzzles  Riddles  Pictorial representations (such as concept maps)  Mazes

Critical Thinking Exercise You are on a lonely stretch of highway of rolling hills and sharp drop off road shoulders…. You just got off your cell phone with your sister as this area has limited cell service and you knew you would lose the signal at anytime…..… It’s late and dark with a bad thunderstorm looming behind you…. You suddenly hear a loud pop and the thumping sound of a flat tire…. Your pretty sure your car has a spare tire and jack but you have never used them….. What do you do ?

DO WE TEACH CRITCAL THINKING IN NURSING ACADEMIA?

Concept Maps and Case Studies Your patient is a 45 YO Asian male who presents with episodes of SOB associated with weather changes and increased activity.On inspection you see a well-developed gentleman in no respiratory distress, but on auscultation, you note that there are scattered end expiratory wheezes to all lobes. He has a flatten diaphragm on his chest film and when given.63 mg Levalbuterol in normal saline by inhalation, he states he feels better.

Critical Thinking Activities Discuss other types of critical thinking activities used in academia SSimulation lab

DO WE APPLY CRITICAL THINKING IN NURSING PRACTICE? How?

WHY DO WE EDUCATE OUR NURSING STUDENTS USING ONE METHOD AND THEN EXPECT THEM TO PRACTICE USING ANOTHER ?? Lets Bridge The Gap From Academia to Practice!

CONTACT INFORMATION Chrysta Bates, RN, MSN Nurse Educator- Delta State University Samuel Miller, RN, MSN CEO- North Sunflower Hospital

References Scriven, M., & Paul, R. (1987). Lecture presented at 8th Annual International Conference on Critical Thinking and Education Reform.