Critical Thinking and Clinical Reasoning
Introduction
Critical thinking is the process by which nurses define clients’ problems, examine evidence-based practice and make a rational choice in the delivery of care. The fact that health care is a systematic process that involves the assessment of the current health situation, planning interventions and evaluating the outcome calls for critical thinking and clinical reasoning. Critical thinking is necessary since it makes nurses rely on facts in their efforts to promote positive patient care outcomes.
The article examines the teaching in class and the way it addresses the need for nurses to engage in critical thinking as the best way to improve their professional clinical competence. By arguing that nursing is a problem-solving model where health issues are broken down into nursing problems, the author creates the impression that nurses are supposed to make the welfare of their patients a priority by taking all necessary steps to improve the way they diagnose various complications. The authors further emphasize that critical thinking nursing needs to be uniform for all nurses with principles and components of clinical reasoning which are critical to ensuring consistency in the quality of healthcare. Critical thinking according to the author involves a holistic approach in which everyone takes part in the thinking and reasoning process while relying on facts to come up with evidence-based solutions.
Relation of the article to Socratic definition
Socratic definition of critical thinking in nurses focuses on the need for nurses to develop multiple points of view and look beneath the surface in coming up with practical solutions to health problems. The article, therefore, adheres to the Socratic definition of critical thinking and reasoning as it acknowledges the fact that a critical thinker needs to be trustful of reason, fair-minded in the evaluation of health problems, open minded and avoided incidences that could create an impression of bias towards patients. Moreover, the authors address the need for nurses to serve their functions diligently and reasonably while focusing on the need to rely on facts. Relying on facts means the ability of nurses to “differentiate what one knows from what they believe”. The article also identifies the fact that critical thinking in nursing is not relying on a single way of thinking but on the need to have reflective facts on the history of the patients, their progress and their current health status.
Since the nurses are faced with complex issues in the modern healthcare environments, the article identifies the need for nurses to rely on both inductive ad deductive reasoning in making rational conclusions on symptoms shown by a patient. Differentiating between belief and knowledge is important since it has great influence on the way nurses challenge assumptions and base their work on practical ideas and be capable of providing the desirable solutions. The need for nurses to make sound clinical judgments that in turn leads to patient-centred care is also addressed by the article when it explains the attitudes that foster critical thinking. Such attitudes include; fair-mindedness, intellectual humility, insight into egocentricity and integrity which are all components of the Socratic definition of critical thinking.
Relation of the article to the 4 step guide
The article’s position is in line with the four-step guide for critical thinking where knowledge is depicted as the ability to answer the questions of why, what, who and where. The article further addresses the fact that nurses with critical thinking capabilities can differentiate opinions, judgments and facts hence come up with a solid way of making decisions. Secondly, the four step guide address the need for comprehension of facts which is addressed in the article where the need to evaluate the credibility of information is emphasized. The article argues on the need for comprehension of the information available by assessing the accuracy and counter-checking with documents available. Comprehension, therefore, implies relying on evidence-based practice to improve health outcomes.
Regarding application as the third step in the guide, the article address the need for nurses to be guided by professional principles including; independence, intellectual humility, integrity, perseverance, and fair-mindedness. The principles identified are all key to ensuring that nurses use their critical thinking and clinical reasoning capabilities to solve problems. Lastly, the article is also appropriate in breaking down critical thinking into components where nurses set priorities, the rationale for their work and how to act to improve health outcomes. Also, nurses are involved in responding to changes in patients conditions and reflect the same on the treatment.
Conclusion
Critical thinking is important in determining the responsiveness of nurses towards taking care of their patients. Through critical thinking, nurses are compelled to adhere to principles such as independence, fair-mindedness, intellectual humility and integrity that make them rely on facts when responding to patients’ needs. Also, critical thinking as addressed by the article establishes situations where nurses depend on the four steps of critical thinking in setting priorities and identifying the best way to act on patients’ needs.
References
Berman, A., Merritt, S., & Snyder, S. (2016). Kozier & Erb's Fundamentals of Nursing. New York: Pearson. Retrieved from www.pearsonhighered.com/berman-10e-info/sample-chapters.html
