Chapter 8 Critical Thinking: A Lifelong Journey Chapter 8 Lesson 8.

1 Learning Objectives

1) Discuss the difference between nonfocused and directed thinking. 2) Explain what makes critical thinking an advanced way of thinking. 3) Use techniques that enhance the understanding of information needed to be a practical/vocational nurse. Overview of Critical Thinking (p. 89 ) Top 10 Reasons to Improve Thinking Things are not what they used to be, or what they will be, in this changing health care system LPN/LVNs frequently care for patients who are not yet stabilized and have multiple problems More patients and their families are involved in health care decisions LPN/LVNs must be able to move from one health care setting to another Rapid change and information explosion requires LPN/LVNs to develop new learning and workplace skills

Overview of Critical Thinking (contd) (p. 89 ) Top 10 Reasons to Improve Thinking (contd) Patients, families, and insurance companies demand to see evidence of benefits, efficiency, and results of care given Progress often creates new problems that cannot be solved by old ways of thinking Redesigning care delivery and education programs is useless if students and nurses do not have the thinking skills required to deal with todays world Learning how to improve your thinking skills does not have to be difficult

Ability to focus thinking on how to get the results you need can make the difference between whether you succeed or fail in the fast-paced health care system

Ways of Thinking (p. 90 ) Applied Critical Thinking Entails purposeful, informed, outcome-focused thinking Driven by patient, family, and community needs Based on the principles of the nursing process Uses logic and intuition Calls for strategies that make the most of human potential Constantly reevaluating, self-correcting, and striving to improve

Ways of Thinking (contd) (p. 90 ) Applied Critical Thinking Used to resolve problems Used to find ways to improve a situation even when no problem exists Answers the question How can we do this better?

Ways of Thinking (contd) (p. 90 ) Non-focused thinking You engage your brain out of habit without much conscious thought

Habitual thinking Involves any routine we do that is important, but that does not require us to think hard about how to do it

Random thoughts Multiple short scenes and thoughts come and go through the mind and have no particular purpose or goal

Ruminative thinking The same situation or scene is replayed in the mind over and over, without reaching an outcome

Ways of Thinking (contd) (p. 90 ) Negative thinking The mind is stuck on negative thoughts and blocks worthwhile thinking

Directed thinking Purposeful and outcome-oriented

Problem-oriented thinking Focus on a particular problem to find a solution

Critical thinking An advanced way of thinking; a problem-solving method, and more

Critical Thinking and Practical/Vocational Nursing (p. 91 ) Critical thinking involves questioning with meaning Involves examining personal thinking and the thinking of others Judgments are made on facts, not assumptions New ideas and alternatives are offered in a constructive way Willing to consider other ideas and recognizes that there may be more than one right way to do something Critical Thinking and Practical/Vocational Nursing (contd) (p. 91 ) Principles of critical thinking Collecting data in an organized way Verifying the data in an organized way Arranging the data in an organized way Looking for gaps in information Analyzing the data Testing it out

What You Need to Think Critically (p. 92 ) Access information

Comprehend information Store comprehended information in long-term memory Recall the comprehended information when needed Know what to do when information is not in long-term memory Question 1

In order to think critically, it is necessary to do all of the following except:

1. 2. 3. 4.

assess information. comprehend information. store comprehended information. research the comprehended information. Question 2

Critical thinking answers the question:

1. 2. 3. 4.

Why are we doing this? What type of outcome is expected? What is the benefit of doing this? How can we do this better? Question 3

There are three factors that influence critical thinking. Which of the following factors does not influence critical thinking?

1. 2. 3. 4.

Level of income Upbringing and culture Motivation Attitude

Chapter 8 Lesson 8.2 Learning Objectives

4) Differentiate among the terms knowledge, comprehension, application, and analysis. 5) Evaluate your personal need for help in comprehending information. 6) Identify two new suggestions for increasing reading effectiveness that you will begin to apply immediately. 7) Develop a plan using critical thinking to increase your ability to think critically. Critical Thinking and the NCLEX-PN (p. 94 ) NCLEX-PN (the national licensing examination for practical/vocational nurses) includes items that require various levels of thinking called cognitive levels Cognitive levels are knowledge, comprehension, application, and analysis Knowledge: the ability to recall and repeat information you have memorized Memorizing is not the same as understanding a concept

Critical Thinking and the NCLEX-PN (contd) (p. 94 ) Comprehension: the ability to very basically understand information, recall it, and identify examples of that information Application: being able to use learned information in new situations Use knowledge to tailor approaches depending on circumstances

Analysis: being able to break down complex information into its basic parts, and relate those parts to the whole picture Factors That Influence Critical Thinking (p. 92 ) Critical thinking status is influenced by personal and situational factors. Upbringing and culture Having family and teacher support, and opportunities to learn to read well and understand the meaning of what you read

Motivation

Determines in part the progress you have made in problem solving and critical thinking

Attitude influences thinking Be humble and recognize that you do not have all the answers and may be influenced by your beliefs and values

Additional Factors That Influence Critical Thinking (p. 93 ) Effective reading More than reading with speed Able to identify the significance and potential application of what you are reading Able to organize the data you have so you can access it efficiently (refer to Chapter 4 for methods and skills used in reading and learning)

Additional Factors That Influence Critical Thinking (contd) (p. 93 ) Maturity Often comes with age Provides past opportunities to have worked through problems Becomes easier to see problems through someone elses eyes

Additional Factors That Influence Critical Thinking (contd) (p. 93 ) Problem Solving and the Nursing Process Based on many of the same principles as is critical thinking Gives you a head start in thinking critically

Communication Skills Being aware of the message you are sending verbally, in writing, and through body language

Additional Factors That Influence Critical Thinking (contd) (p. 93 ) Self-confidence Often the personal characteristic that is the least available to a student You develop self-confidence as you succeed in your endeavors

Moral Development Moral development creates fair-mindedness, a strong sense of what is right and wrong and just

Additional Factors That Influence Critical Thinking (p. 93 ) Capability in Nursing You must have nursing knowledge and skills to do the work of nursing and know how to access the resources

Collaboration Promotes critical-thinking skills Students and instructors still tend to work alone rather than collaborate with each other in the learning/studying process

Additional Factors That Influence Critical Thinking (contd) (p. 94 ) Anxiety When anxiety overwhelms, it effectively stops critical thinking

Mentors and Experience in Nursing Work experience and the guidance of nursing mentors, starting with your instructor, will assist you in learning to identify priorities in nursing care

Making It Work for You (p. 94 ) We all have special, although different, abilities in the area of thinking The trick is to discover what those abilities are, embrace them, and make them work for you You can choose whether to make the most of your abilities Question 4

There are four cognitive levels used on the NCLEX-PN examination. Which of the following is not one of the four cognitive levels?

1. 2.

knowledge collaboration

3. 4.

application analysis Question 5

In what year did the National Council use alternate format items on the NCLEX examination?

1. 2. 3. 4.

1999 2003 2005 2007