Critical thinking in the nursing profession should be based on the knowledge and experience to recognize patient problems. Also, thought should be applied during clinical judgment and the actions rendered to the client. In the nursing, critical thinking is crucial for professional accountability and care (Rubenfeld, 2010). In practice, it involves analyzing and applying the required standards. This is important to maximize the patient positive result. It is even necessary to include critical thinking in the curricula. There have been many suggestions especially from the professionals and regulatory bodies to incorporate critical thinking curricula in the nursing profession.
In the nursing profession, critical thinking is presumably an essential skill. It enables individuals to appreciate opportunities and issues and grasp the information in the practice (Rubenfeld, 2010). In addition, it is mostly based on the knowledge and experience through the strategies such as reflective thought. Also, scholars who exhibit the virtue of intellectual curiosity can impart the knowledge of critical thinking. The skill of critical thinking can be recognized in individuals through the ways they do things, performance and their expertise. Critical thinker nurses are supposed to meet the clients’ needs and preferences. This is because they possess the cognitive skill of information seeking. Further, they satisfy the clients’ needs which are a step for a positive result. Critical thinkers do not mainly rely to be directed on what they must do. They act on informed decision through rational thought. Critical thinking refers to rational thinking, being open minded and based on informed data (Rubenfeld, 2010). Therefore, professional must evaluate the data before making an informed decision on the patient situation.
In the health care industry, professionals must develop the skill of critical thinking in order to understand the patients’ needs. Critical reasoning is required to give an accurate interpretation of the patient data as per the situation. Nurses’ professionals think critically because of their fair mindedness and motivation. Also, critical thinking varies according to the motivation. It should be manifested in the skillful manipulation of ideas in the practice. Therefore, there must be need for character and skill formation among the health professionals. However, no one is a critical thinker but development of critical thinking skills is a lifelong endeavor. The characters and skills are developed especially during training and in the practice setting. Further, the skills acquired by the health professionals are supposed to be what is expected in the practice setting. Critical thinking skill enables competent professionals to question what they see and form an obligation to know more (Rubenfeld, 2010). Critical skills help the nurses to be ethically professional in the practice.
In conclusion, critical thinking should be rational, open-minded and informed by data. Professional nurses are supposed to analyze and evaluate the data before making a clinical judgment. In addition, the experience should enhance the nurses’ abilities to make accurate and informed decisions. Nurses should exhibit critical skills in a self-guided and disciplined manner. This will help them to practice rationally and empathically. A critical thinker professional can recognize crucial questions, as well as problems. Further, he/she must gather and assess the information relevant in order to make well-reasoned conclusions in practice. For instance, competent nurses must think open mindedly and communicate effectively with others in trying to solve problems.
References
Hooft, S., Gillam, L., & Byrnes, M. (1995). Facts and values: An introduction to critical thinking for nurses. Sydney: MacLennan + Petty.
Rubenfeld, M. G., & Scheffer, B. K. (2010). Critical thinking tactics for nurses: Achieving the IOM competencies. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett.
