PICO- In adult nursing graduates from a two year private college associate degree program (Population), is critical thinking skills the best predictor (Intervention), compared with using GPA or SAT (Comparison), of nursing student ability to pass the NCLEX the first time?
This article is a quantitative level 2 comparative retrospective investigation which is a lesser quality random control trial (RCT). The sample selection consisted of was graduates from the years of 2005 to 2007; they were from a small private 2-year associate degree nursing program. The total population yielded 308 nursing students that passed their NCLEX-RN the first time and 91 students that failed the first time. However, to obtain the equal number of nurses from
The national shortage of Registered Nurses (RNs) has helped generate formidable interest in the nursing profession among people entering the workforce and those pursuing a career change. According to a report issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service in 2002, the national population is continuing to grow and age and medical services continue to advance, so the need for nurses will continue to increase. They report from 2000 to 2020 the predicted shortage of nurses is expected to grow to 29 percent, compared to a 6 percent shortage in 2000. With the projected supply, demand, and shortage of registered nurses and nursing salaries ever-increasing, the nursing profession can offer countless opportunities. But first one must determine which educational path to pursue, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or Associate Degree in nursing (ADN). Most will initially be educated at the associate degree level, even though the American Organization of Nursing Executives (AONE) has recommended a baccalaureate level as a minimal for entry-level nurses. With the expanding number of RN to BSN programs available there is always the option to further one’s education at a later date. The benefits for acquiring a BSN over an ADN include a better knowledge for evidence-based practice, an increased advantage for promotion, and the necessary gateway for higher education.
Ja Young, thank you for breaking down what the difference are between diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments that demonstrates mastery of nurse practitioner competencies. After reading your post, I also felt it is important to examine the mastery of “policy” through courses such as health policy, which we will be taking in our program. It is important for nurse practitioners to not only understand the changing policies regarding scope of practice, but also how to advocate and contribute to the development of health policies (Dzubur, 2015). As nurse practitioner students, we can increase our exposure to political changes to practice by joining organizations such as California Association of Nurse Practitioners (CANP) and attending events such as Lobby day.
Polit, D. F. & Beck, C. T. (2012). Nursing research: Generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice (9th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott.
According to Kaplan, the methods section should provide sufficient information for the study to be reproduced (Kaplan, 2012). The study does acknowledge that their 57 study participants sample is too small for adequate analysis, but this can still be an acceptable number of participants, as there is no defined number for an appropriate sample size (LoBiondo-Wood & Haber, 2014). More specifically, the sample included 57 participants in their junior year at the same college of nursing encompassing six different clinical groups that were all currently enrolled in their second acute care course. The groups were evenly divided between traditional students (28 students) and accelerated students (29 students). There were 10 males and 47 females selected. This sample size is representative of the target population of nurses, which is 17.5%, which according to the National League for Nursing in 2012 in baccalaureate programs nationally is 14% (http://www.nln.org/researchgrants/slides/pdf/AS1112_F29.pdf). Selection biases were not addressed in the research study, which could influence the outcome of the study if the study p...
The shortage of registered nurses (RNs) in the United States has been a cyclical topic dating back to the 1960s. Only recently have employers in certain regions of the nation stated a decline in the demand for RNs. Consequently, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2014) report on 2012-2013 Enrollment and Graduations in Baccalaureate and Graduate Programs in Nursing, American nursing schools denied admission to 79,659 qualified applicants from baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs in 2012. The reported decrease in job availability and rejected admissions has left many individuals to question if the nursing shortage still exists. On the other hand, some experts project that the United States will be short more than one million RNs by 2020 (Dolan, 2011). Although some parts of the country are in less of a demand than others, it is undeniable that there is a national shortage of RNs.
Nursing practice holds different levels of degree for nurses that include Associate degree in Nursing, Bachelor degree in nursing, and Master degree in Nursing. Even though the degree level in nursing are to provide basic care to the patients, but the level of competency and knowledge in the profession is different. Nursing practice in advance level play important role to provide quality of care to patients. Many health care settings require nurses to earn baccalaureate degree level to apply for RN position. The purpose of writing this paper is to identify the proficiency level between an Associate degree of Nursing versus Baccalaureate degree level.
Relate personal learning style to preparation for the NCLEX-RN: Critical thinking and being able to work together with the healthcare team is a key to be a successful nurse and providing the best care to the patients. A nurse should understand the disease process to fully understand how to care and organize a plan to care for assigned patient. This concept will also help me learn and understand better and eventually apply this knowledge toward NCLEX as well. My goal is to exhibit the use of my critical thinking skills throughout assessing, diagnosing, planning, implementing and evaluating nursing care (ADPIE). Much of the nursing school courses specially medical- Surgery centered around evidenced based which now I can see how to relate them into capstone course and eventually helping me to pass NCLEX.
Wettstein, R. B., Wilkins, R. L., Gardner, D. D., & Restrepo, R. D. (2011). Critical-Thinking Ability in Respiratory Care Students and Its Correlation With Age, Educational Background, and Performance on National Board Examinations. Respiratory Care, 56(3), 284-289. doi: 10.4187/respcare.00625
Still today, nurse staffing is a crucial health policy issue. Since the 1980s, the nursing profession has taken on more prominence in America with a large focus on research studies. In fact, U.S. Public Law 99-158, Health Research Extension Act of 1985, authorized the National Center for Nursing Research (NCNR) at National Institutes of Health (NIH) (Health Research Extension Act of 1985, 1985). With U.S. Public Law 103-43, NIH Revitalization Act of 1993, the NCNR was formally changed to the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) (NIH Revitalization Act of 1993, 1993). The NINR started constructing purposeful research projects, which produced a positive correlation between the number of staff and quality of care. However, the 1996 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report expressed, at that time, no significance between nurse staffing and clients’ outcomes in acute-care hospitals (Institute of Medicine Staff, Davis, Sloan, & Wunderlich, 1996, p. 9).
This paper serves to inform individuals about the benefits, challenges and education facing nurses. In the review of literature, one source is obtained from the SVSU database which describe the benefits of nursing; two additional SVSU database sources will also describe the challenges. In addition, a case study is evaluated, which shows the correlation between the career and the pass/failure of the NCLEX-RN exam. This paper concludes with an analysis of the information gathered, showing why nursing is a field that others should consider as a career.
What critical thinking skills are needed for the leader committed to social justice to effectively communicate at all levels of practice?
Campbell, J., Finch, D., Allport, C., Erickson, H. C., & Swain, M. A. (1985). A theoretical approach to nursing assessment. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 10(2), 111-115.
Chris had just been promoted as an Executive Assistant for Pat the CEO, Chief Executive Officer, of Faith Community Hospital. Pat had given Chris her very first assignment on her first day of work as an executive assistant and that was to gather information so that Pat can present the issues to the board of directors. Faith Hospital is faced with issues that needed attention and the board of directors must be notified of the issues so that a solution can be remedy to help the hospital stay in business.
In conclusion, nursing practice in critical thinking guarantees success in the health service and its importance lies on this. It is vital that nurses develop their skills to keep the organization during the nursing process. Additionally, nurses need to use their evidence-based research, analyze and diagnose exactly. To be good nurses need to develop highly developed thinking skills that lead us to deliver higher quality health care.
“The fact that critical thinking relies upon criteria suggests that it is well-founded, structured, and reinforced thinking, as opposed to “uncritical” thinking, which is amorphous, haphazard, and unstructured.”2 For instance, it is important in the academic field because it facilitates the individual to analyze, evaluate, and explain their thought in a clear manner. However, having this knowledge of logical inquiry doesn’t exempt people from making mistakes. Character traits such as bias can affect the effectiveness of the critical thinking process. Critical thinking skills can also be used by nurses during patient assessments. Through critical thinking, nurses can come to conclusive diagnosis or decisions of the situation at hand. Some Colleges now-a-days are including this skills in their curriculum to continue the professional development of their