Module 6: Assessing Critical Thinking - Coursework Example

Assessing Critical Thinking Critical thinking in the nursing profession is vital for the delivery of quality health care servicesto patients. A nursing career should characterized by a compassionate need to care for those in need of medical care, and possess the unique ability to deal with the intrinsic details of nursing. Critical thinking in nursing requires the development of rational and clear thoughts that aid in decision making processes through the use of available evidence on the ground.

In order to excel in critical thinking, one needs to have the intellectual capacity to learn through discipline and perseverance. Critical thinking in nursing enables nurses to learn the content of nursing, ideas, concepts and theories that help in developing intellectual capacities.Question #1 Initiates to the nursing profession are required to harness the benefits of critical thinking from the onset of their involvement in the profession. It entails active thinking that requires the use of systematic and logical processes to address challenges encountered during patient care delivery (Masters, 2013).

Critical thinking involves the constant questioning of nursing beliefs amongst the nursing profession, which encourages the development of new and innovative ways of doing things. Through critical thinking, nurses are able to device efficient and effective methodologies and approaches that are applied in improving the delivery of nursing care. A firm theoretical foundation is an integral component of critical thinking in the nursing profession. This equips practitioners with knowledge and evidence that promotes further research.

Nursing research and evidence based practice, and knowledge obtained from the study of the social sciences and life sciences (Romeo, 2010). In light of this, nurses are required to continuously apply the principles of critical thinking and the use of up-to-date nursing research and evidence-based data to provide high quality and safe health care. Question #2 A critical thinking mind map encompasses thought processes that engage the mind into asking questions that lead to the development of a problem solving attitude.

This result in the execution of various actions aimed at solving these problems effectively and efficiently. Nurses who apply critical thinking skills in their professional practices are characterized by their ability to offer superior quality of health care to their patients (Lechasseur, Lazure & Guilbert, 2011). Critical thinking begins by asking the question ‘why’, and this can be illustrated by the following example. The inability of pain medication to ease a patient’s headache leads to an evaluation of her medical history.

How the patient’s condition remains unchanged is another vital critical thinking thought process that should be engaged. This works to help in ruling out those interventions that are not effective and those that hold the potential of alleviating their condition (Urden, Stacy & Lough, 2013). The ‘what’ and ‘where’ are questions that should also be considered to determine the cause and source of a patient’s illness. ‘When’ is another vital query when employing critical thinking skills in nursing practice.

Establishing the frequency and timeframe in which a disease manifest itself serves to help decide on appropriate intervention. End of life care for medical practitioners should be approached with as much care and compassion as any other stage in a patient’s recovery of treatment plan. The employment of critical thinking skills when dealing with a terminally ill patient approaching their end requires a lot of empathy. Being to think on one’s feet in dealing with stressful and emotional domestic situations is key to effectively ensuring the needs and welfare of all those involved are acknowledged.

Failing to recognize the needs and wants of an end of life patient’s relations at this juncture creates more problems than it solves. A nurse who thinks critically should be able to evaluate the emotional load placed on a patient’s relatives, and determine appropriate interventions. These interventions should be aimed at restoring a family’s peace of mind and easing the patient’s passage. The effective application of critical thinking skills in end of life care promotes the development of healthy and positive attitudes in society with regard to death, and helps people handle themselves better.

Critical thinking, through evidence gathered from the ground has been able to transform health care service delivery that is beneficial to the patients and practitioners. ReferencesLechasseur, K., Lazure, G., & Guilbert, L. (2011). Knowledge mobilized by a critical thinking process deployed by nursing students in practical care situations: a qualitative study. Journal of advanced nursing, 67(9), 1930-1940.Masters, K. (2013). Role development in professional nursing practice. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.Romeo, E. M. (2010). Quantitative research on critical thinking and predicting nursing students NCLEX-RN performance.

 The Journal of nursing education,49(7), 378-386.Urden, L. D., Stacy, K. M., & Lough, M. E. (2013). Critical care nursing: diagnosis and management. Mosby Incorporated.