Critical-thinking skills can be used to resolve problems rationally
Critical-thinking skills can be used to resolve problems rationally. Identifying, analyz- ing, and questioning the evidence and implications of each problem stimulate and illuminate critical thought processes. Critical thinking is also an essential component of decision making. However, compared to problem solving and decision making, which involve seeking a single solution, critical thinking is a higher-level cognitive process that includes creativity, problem solving, and decision making (Figure 8-1).
Critical Thinking in Nursing The need for critical thinking in nursing has long been accepted. Zori, Nosek, and Musil (2010) used the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory to measure critical thinking in nurses. The researchers found that the nurses supervised by managers with higher critical think- ing skills perceived their work environment to be more positive than those whose managers scored lower on critical-thinking skills.
Case scenarios and discussion of clinical experiences taught newly licensed nurses critical thinking and improved their retention rate in one facility (Ashcraft, 2010). Bittner and Gravlin (2009) studied nurses’ critical-thinking skills when delegating to assistive personnel. They found that the nurse’s lack of critical thinking more often resulted in missed or omitted routine care.