1. Critical Thinking, Decision Making, and the Nursing Process
Chapter 5
Critical Thinking, Decision Making, and the Nursing Process

2. Critical Thinking
“…reasonable reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what to believe or do” (Ennis, 1987)
Process through which nurses analyze and make sense of situations to make sound clinical decisions

3. Components of Critical Thinking
Mental operations
Knowledge
Attitudes

4. Development of Critical Thinking Skills
Identify goals
Determine knowledge
Assess margin for error
Determine time available for decision making
Identify resources
Recognize influencing factors

5. Critical Thinking Skills
Interpretation
Analysis
Influence
Explanation
Evaluation
Self-regulation

6. Critical Thinking and Creativity
Barriers:
Habit
Comfort with status quo
Fear of making mistakes
Tradition
Use of meaningless routines and rituals
Rigid mind-set

7. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Critical thinkers avoid pitfalls of problem solving by:
Defining problem
Analyzing data
Understanding causes
Creating new ideas that lead to problem resolution

8. Critical Thinking and Decision Making
Critical thinking used to develop and support sound clinical decisions
Implement safe, effective nursing interventions only after:
Reflection
Reasoning

9. Nursing Process Historical perspective
Framework for providing professional, quality nursing care
Assessment
Planning
Implementation
Evaluation
(continued)

10. Nursing Process Overview: Assessment Diagnosis
Outcome identification and planning
Implementation
Evaluation

11. Assessment Collect data Validate data Organize data Identify pattern
Devise initial inferences
Record or report data

12. Diagnosis Analyze and synthesize data Types: Actual problems
Potential problems
Wellness conditions
Collaborative problems

13. Outcome Identification and Planning
Prioritize nursing diagnoses
Identify and write outcomes and goals
Develop specific interventions
Record plan

14. Implementation Execute plan Necessary skills: Continual assessment
Psychomotor
Interpersonal
Critical thinking
(continued)

15. Implementation
Necessary skills:
Communication
Writing
Reporting

16. Evaluation Evaluate goals Reassess Make necessary changes
Met
Not met
Partially met
Reassess
Make necessary changes
Continual process

17. Critical Thinking Applied to Nursing
Learned skill
Vital tool
Nurses need to have questioning attitude in every phase of nursing process