Assessment of learning can be a meaningful tool for teachers and students during a course to provide feedback to the student about the type and quality of work that is being completed in the course and for the instructor to find areas where the student is having difficulties and so additional materials can be provided or the course modified. The aim of this paper is to define assessment and critical thinking skills, and then review a State University course and suggest different assessments that could be used to demonstrate learning. Theoretical Foundations of Nursing will be the course reviewed, as it is the only course I have previously taken, and therefore the only course which I have assess to the curriculum.
Critical thinking is recognized by accrediting bodies as an outcome for graduates of bachelor and master’s level programs, but no consensus exits on its definition and measurements (Ali, Bantz, & Siktberg, 2005, p. 90). Some critical thinking “descriptors are: confidence, contextual perspective, flexibility, inquisitiveness, intellectual integrity, intuition, open-mindedness, perseverance, and reflection. In addition, individuals who think critically have the ability to use the cognitive skills of analyzing, applying standards, discriminating, seeking information, reasoning logically, and transforming knowledge (Scheffer & Rubenfeld, 2000) (Ali, Bantz, & Siktberg, 2005, p. 90).
Assessment strategies should be integrated into the curriculum so that critical thinking skills can be assessed throughout the course and not just at the end of the course. Critical thinking projects will take concepts from a broad range and apply these to local clinical contexts, “the assignment then challenges the student to reflect/...
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Nursing students today are diverse with different learning styles. Nursing educators must shape students to become critical thinkers and there are a host of approaches for instructors to develop needed teaching skills (Kostovich et al., 2007). There are many models of education styles; one to fashion teaching after is from Kolb’s model in 1985 which suggests matching learning methods to teaching approaches. However, educators need to become proficient in identifying individual student learning styles. Nursing educators should also recognize their own teaching style and the effect it has on learner development and socialization (National League for Nursing, 2007). The National League for Nursing (NLN) has developed eight core competencies for nurse educators. The NLN proficiencies serve as a guide for faculty to follow in order to provide high quality education for nursing students (NLN, 2007). This paper is aimed at proposing a student teaching practicum at North Central Michigan College (NCMC) in the nursing high fidelity simulation/skills lab for the winter 2014 semester.
Throughout this program, this author has learned the various ways critical thinking is utilized in nursing. This applies to developing care maps, Kaplan testing, using the nursing process, medication administration, and patient care. Kaplan testing has been the hardest aspect of thinking critically for this author. However, with practice and remediation, this author has learned how to critically think through the questions in order to choose the best possible answer. In correlation, this author now understands that thinking critically leads to effective, high-quality care and patient outcomes by understanding the needs of patients and treating those patients with evidence-based care.
The article “Promoting the 6Cs of Nursing in Patient Assessment” by Clarke (2014), is one that covers the different elements of patient assessment, how critical thinking is required in assessment and how nurses can integrate caring into their nursing process, primarily during patient assessment. Patient assessment is the first part of the nursing process and requires the nurse to collect objective and subject information for analysis that can be then attributed to a nursing diagnosis (Potter et al., 2014). Even after a diagnosis has been made, nurses must continue to assess and analyze their patients in order to ensure the patient is in good condition and that treatment is going as planned (Potter et al., 2014). In the case of critical thinking, it is “a complex phenomenon that can be defined as a process and as a set of skills” and often focuses on sound logic and reasoning (Potter et al., 2014, p. 141). The definition of Caring differs somewhat depending on the theorist, but in essence it boils down to a concept central to nursing that requires the nurse to support the patient in their health,
Yildirim, B. & Ozkahraman, S. (2011). Critical Thinking in Nursing and Learning Styles. 1. Retrieved from http://www.ijhssnet.com/journals/Vol_1_No_18_Special_Issue/15.pdf
Lunney, M. (2010). Use of critical thinking in the diagnostic process. International Journal Of Nursing Terminologies & Classifications,21(2), 82-88. doi:10.1111/j.1744-618X.2010.01150.x
Sorensen, H. J., & Yankech, L. (2008). Precepting in the Fast Lane: Improving Critical Thinking in New Graduate Nurses. Journal Of Continuing Education In Nursing, 39(5), 208.
The outcome Critical Thinking is one that I feel I will never have enough information on. This category leaves plenty of room for growth in new students or even experienced RN’s. I already notice how my critical thinking skills have expanded since I have started the program. My Health Assessment class that I am currently in has really helped me understand how to use critical thinking in different situations. We are given many
-Utilized critical thinking skills to the nursing process: assessed conditions, demonstrated effective decision making, implemented appropriate interventions, anticipated potential complications, and evaluated care outcomes
Five levels of competence are identified in this theory: novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert (Benner, 1982). According to Brykczynski (2010), as the nurse matures professionally from various experiences, clinical knowledge grows deeper from both practical and theoretical knowledge gained through experience. A wealth of knowledge is gained through trial, error, and modification of tests and evidence-based practices in the actual situation while maintaining patient safety and the highest quality of patient care (Brykczynski, 2010). Coupled, these provide a solid foundation for the theoretical framework for nursing HPS. Through the learning process, the learner transitions from novice to expert. The student evolves from simply gathering individual pieces of patient health data to collectively reviewing the separate pieces to make decisions based on the overall situation. HPS provide experiences to allow students to improve assessment skills and see the consequences of decisions (Waldner & Olson, 2007). It is evident, how each theory relies on an experience or situation and skill set to be able to be accomplished. These are things that HPS requires as
Even though this is the first time of me going through this type of learning and thinking assessment, I do agree with all the three results. Each of them seems to depict my way of learning and thinking.
Critical thinking is often described as sets of competencies (Pithers & Soden, 2000). For example, Ennis (1987,1993) offers a taxonomy of critical thinking skills and dispositions to be applied in identifying a problem and its assumptions, and making inferences. Broad dispositions such as a spirit of inquiry, open-mindedness and weighing the credibility of evidence are also very important (Ennis, 1993; Perkins, Jay, & Tishman, 1993) and considered transferable over various domains.
Critical thinking is a significant and essential topic in recent education. The strategy of critical thinking skills helps identify areas in one's courses as the suitable place to highlight, expand and use some problems in exams that test students' critical thinking skills.
In conclusion, the educational process should not be simple and repetitive it must include analysis tools to allow for various new interpretations and judgements. A student who is taught to think critically will act accordingly as one of the best abilities which will be created for them to foresee the potential effects of their actions. By having students think critically, they are able to formulate the right questions, evaluate judgements and to formulate their own interpretations based on evidence. Critical thinking in the university environment has a positive impact on grades, retention, future careers and ultimately leads to student empowerment for the future.