Critical Thinking Skills In Nursing

As patient diversity and illness complexity increase, so does the demand for nurses who have pertinent competencies and skills. In fast-paced environments, clinical information may arrive in piecemeal or incrementally, compelling nurses to speedily and competently recognise complications, including subtle signs of deterioration, even without complete data (Jacob, Duffield, & Jacob, 2017). Patient outcomes have been associated with nurse surveillance, a skill which may depend on the nurse level (i.e. Enrolled versus Registered Nurse), education, clinical proficiency and workplace experience (Brier et al., 2015). Consequently, patient assessment, communication and relationship skills are essential to work readiness which shapes nurse satisfaction

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (2010) has established national competency standards for RNs which incorporate critical thinking. Critical thinking and analysis refers to self-appraisal, professional growth and research for practice that comprises of practising within an evidence-based framework and respecting the values and beliefs of individuals and groups (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, 2010, p. 4). Furthermore, RNs demonstrate critical thinking when they apply analytical skills in accessing and assessing health information and research evidence and employ proper strategies to manage responses in the work environment (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, 2010, pp. 4-5). The nursing standards embrace both cognitive and affective dimensions when expressing critical thinking competency. Moreover, based on the review of literature of Pérez et al. (2015), the interest in critical thinking in nursing education and practice grew because of the demand for professional, safe, and culturally-responsive care. In their definition, critical thinking pertains to a cognitive process of rational analysis of information that enables effective and efficient clinical reasoning, assessment and decision-making (Pérez et al., 2015, p. 822). Similar to the

To examine the experiences of enrolled nurses transitioning to RN functions, Brown, Baker, Jessup and Marshall (2015) conducted in-depth interviews with nurses in South East Queensland, Australia. Analysis showed three primary themes: a new extent of practice, perceptions of competence and working on experience and knowledge (Brown et al., 2015). Changes in roles as an RN emphasised the practice of critical thinking and decision-making tasks that are connected to diverse RN responsibilities particularly in “looking at [the] person and their presentation” (Brown et al., 2015, p. 201). The article reveals the impact of thinking critically on conducting professional clinical