“Critical thinking in nursing is an essential component of professional accountability and quality nursing care” (Masters, 2017, p. 217). Nurses apply critical thinking by using their intellectual reasoning to prevent unsafe practice. It allows nurses to study and interpret the data appropriately to make a judgement about the patient’s condition or the achievement of a particular outcome. The ability for nurses to critically think enhances the coordination of patient care by developing and applying strong clinical skills in a safe, organized environment. It is my belief that I utilize critical thinking skills to reflect on the implications and consequences of circumstances that may arise during a problem or to understand a patient’s condition …show more content…
In nursing school, my clinical instructors instilled in me the importance of thinking like a nurse in a clinical environment and outside of a clinical environment. The application of my first aspect of clinical judgement happened outside a clinical environment while I was attending nursing school. While working at Walgreen’s as a pharmacy technician, a customer came into the store with a shuffling gait. The primary warning sign of a shuffling gait quickly gained my attention as she exhibited some weakness in her legs while trying to maintain her balance against the shopping cart. This presented an alarming warning sign of a potential problem or condition. I approached the customer asking her did she need any assistance. The customer was profusely sweating, shaking and short of breath. Moreover, the elderly woman seemed quite confused. I asked the customer, “Are you dizzy?” She stated that she was experiencing some lightheadness and mentioned that her vision was blurry. First, I set …show more content…
Conceptual thinking is the ability to understand a situation by identifying patterns or connections, focusing on key underlying issues, and integrating them into a conceptual framework (Masters, 2017, p. 221). By utilizing my nursing education and critical thinking skills, I was able to connect the customer symptoms to a hypoglycemic episode. I acted quickly while providing respect and dignity to the customer. I relied on my critical thinking skills and education to give me confidence in knowing that my judgement could benefit the customer appropriately. I kept in mind to prevent the customer from harm and to do what was ethically right.“To improve patient safety, nurses must be able to recognize changes in patient condition, perform independent nursing interventions, anticipate orders, and prioritize” (Masters, 2017). I believe that recognizing the customer’s shuffling gait initially allowed me the opportunity to intervene quickly, independently, and to prioritize her safety. Nurses are expected to make sound decisions constantly. Experiencing this situation helped me to think in a logical manner and understand how to establish priorities in the clinical
A- Value seeing health care situations “through patients’ eyes”. The patient that I have chosen for this discussion is an elderly woman. Her diagnosis was a fracture of the left femur, which happened as a resident in a long-term care facility. Comorbidities include Alzheimer's disease and type II diabetes. She was described by other staff as being mean, uncooperative, difficult, and lazy; little did they know that I was a nurse at the long-term care facility and have cared for this woman many times prior to this hospitalization.
LeMone, P., Burke, K., & Bauldoff, G. (2011). Medical-surgical nursing: Critical thinking in patient care (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Critical thinking and knowledge are the foundation of nursing practice, and the most essential elements in providing quality nursing care. Nu...
Rubenfeld, M. G., & Scheffer, K. B. (2015). Critical thinking tactics for nurses: Achieving the IOM competencies (3rd ed.). [VitalSource Bookshelf Version]. http://dx.doi.org/9781284059571
The nurse must be committed to integrating these safety practices in her care for the clients. Critical thinking skills are also essential. The use of critical thinking enables the nurse to identify any current or potential problems that might jeopardize the patient safety. In addition, the nurse must also have the resources and supplies available to deliver safe care. For example, the nurse used the family assessment questionnaire provided to her to do an assessment on the safety of the home environment. She also needed supplies like hand sanitizer and disinfectant
Define a critical thinking task that your staff does frequently (Examples: treat high blood sugar, address low blood pressure, pain management, treat fever, etc.). Create a concept map or flow chart of the critical thinking process nurses should take to determine the correct intervention. Include how much autonomy a nurse should have to apply personal wisdom to the process. If the critical thinking process was automated, list two instances where a nurse may use “wisdom” to override the automated outcome suggested. Note the risks and benefits of using clinical decision-making systems.
Caring promotes patient health, individual growth, and stimulates coping skills, and therefore must always be emphasized in holistic patient care (Zimmerman & Phillips). In addition to its value in patient care it is also a central component of a nurses critical thinking process (Zimmerman & Phillips, 2000). “According to Brookfield (1987), critical thinking is a process of active inquiry which combines reflective analysis with informed action and has an emotive or affective component that is central to this process”(Zimmerman & Phillips, 2000, p. 223). Thus, when a nurse is aware of their patient’s holistic needs they are better able to care for their patient and in doing so enhance their critical thinking abilities (Zimmerman &
Reflection and analysis of critical incidents is widely regarded as a valuable learning tool for nurses. Practice requires us to explore our actions and feelings and examine evidence-based literature, thus bridging the gap between theory and practice (Bailey 1995). It also affords us the opportunity to change our way of thinking or practicing, for when we reflect on an incident we can learn valuable lessons from what did and did not work. In this way, we develop self-awareness and skills in critical thinking and problem solving (Rich & Parker 2001). Critical incidents? ?
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.
Preusser, B. (2008). 4th Ed. Winningham and Preusser’s critical thinking in nursing: Medical-surgical, pediatric, maternity, and psychiatric case studies. New York: Elsevier/Mosby Inc.
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
While the semester is over and the deadline has expired, I thought I would write this to express my true intended thoughts.
For my clinical observation experience I went to the Emergency Department at JFK Medical Center. The first emergency nurse I was assigned to was responsible for six beds. When I first arrived the nurse explained to me that she prioritizes her care based on urgency and airway problem. Since the rest of her patients were stable, she went to perform a focused assessment on a new patient assigned to one of her beds. This patient came in because he had fallen in the bathroom. As soon as she was finished assessing this patient, she went to the
In his essay Critical Thinking: What Is It Good For? (In Fact, What Is It), Howard Gabennesch explains the importance of critical thinking by drawing attention to how its absence is responsible for societies many ills including, but not limited to, the calamity in Vietnam. Yet, at the end of his essay, Gabennesch also mentions that, despite “the societal benefits of critical thinking, at the individual level, uncritical thinking offers social and psychological rewards of its own.”(14). Similarly, it is these rewards that, like the bait on a fishhook, often make individuals hesitant to engage in critical thinking despite the resulting harm to both them and society.