Nursing Students' Critical Thinking Levels

Abstract

Introduction: Critical thinking is the key element of nursing practice, because critical thinking constitutes the base of developing accurate communication. As critical thinking is influencing patient care potentially, it is very important. With this study it was aimed to determine the critical thinking levels of nursing students. Methods: This study was planned to be conducted as analytical descriptive type in Corum/Turkey in the year 2014. Sample of the study (n=298) consisted of all students visiting the Health High School. The data in the study was collected by using Student Descriptive Characteristics Inventory Form and California Critical Thinking Dispositions Inventory (CCTDI). For the statistical analyze during the assessment of obtained findings from the study, the SPSS 15.0 program was used. Significance was evaluated in p<0.05 level. Findings: Nursing students' critical thinking point averages (208.7987 +/- 19.90634) were found low. Whereas students' CCTDI sub-scale point averages regarding analyticity and open-mindedness are medium, it was determined that searching for the truth, systematicity, self-confidence and curiosity sub-scale point averages are low. In the study was detected that family structure and maternal education level have an impact on students' critical thinking level and this difference was found statistically significant (p<0.05). According to CCTDI students' critical thinking level was determined to be low. Conclusion: It is recommended to use educational methods intending to increase students' critical level during nursing education, to encourage students to read books-magazines and newspapers, to perform intervention studies that evaluate the effects of different interventions in order to provide students with critical thinking skills. (C) 2015 Published by Future Academy www.FutureAcademy.org.uk