Critical Thinking Article Review

Critical Thinking Article Review

Over the last thirty years, the health care system has incurred dramatic changes, resulting in new advances in technology and medical theories. Greater demand for quality care by consumers, more knowledgeable patients, remarkable disease processes, shorter hospitalizations, and the continuing pressure to lower health care costs are all contributing factors in the necessary changes to the nursing practice. In order for nurses to deliver optimum care, they must develop a higher quality of thinking capability. We will review the information given in this research paper to discuss the impact of critical thinking in the nursing profession, as well as the various strategies / techniques used in assisting nursing educators to develop and train nurses in critical thinking.

Knowles (cited in Simpson & Courtney, 2002) states that “facts learned in youth have become insufficient and in many instances actually untrue; skills learned in youth have become outmoded by new technologies.” As nurses, we are constantly evolving in response to the vast changes in health care. We must continue to educate ourselves and acquire new skills. Nurses are responsible for providing safe and effective care.

Nurses collect and assess patient information to help formulate the best plan of care for patients daily. Fowler (cited in Simpson & Courtney, 2002) states “practicing nurses and nurse educators concur that the increasing complexity of modern health-care demands critical thinking.” As stated by Alfaro-LeFevre (cited in Simpson & Courtney, 2002) “critical thinking belongs in nursing because nursing is concerned with purposeful goal-directed thinking, with the primary aim of making judgments grounded on factual evidence rather than conjecture.”