Why Is Critical Thinking Important in Nursing Students?

Observation, analysis and interpretation are just a few of the critical thinking skills that are important to nursing students and working nurses. Why is critical thinking important in nursing students and RNs? Critical thinking and nursing go hand in hand for many reasons, including the necessity of making evidence-based nursing decisions regarding patient care.

At Madonna University, our curriculum emphasizes developing critical thinking skills. Despite the rapid pace of our Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program, our nursing students get plenty of practice developing crucial critical thinking skills while working through patient care scenarios in nursing simulation labs. To understand the importance of nursing critical thinking, one must consider its role and benefits for both nurses and patients.

Understanding Critical Thinking in Nursing

Critical thinking isn’t just one skill. It’s a collection of skills that empower individuals to make logical decisions. Some examples of critical thinking skills include:

• Observation
• Analysis
• Reflection
• Evaluation
• Information gathering
• Questioning
• Inference
• Decision-making
• Problem-solving
• Interpretation

Before responding to a patient’s declining condition, a nurse needs to determine precisely what’s going on and the likely cause. Critical thinking skills assist with this process.

Critical thinking also enables nurses to:

• Figure out which patients you need to see first
• Determine which medications to administer first
• Understand when changes in a patient’s condition warrant intervention

Above all, critical thinking facilitates better patient outcomes by allowing for decisions based on logic and reason.

Why Is Critical Thinking Necessary for Nursing Students?

As a nursing student in the ABSN program, you will develop a strong foundation for critical thinking skills. Madonna’s curriculum enables you to develop them over time, particularly through hands-on experiential learning. This process is crucial for nursing students, as acquiring critical thinking skills facilitates the following:

• Problem-solving
• Clinical decision-making
• Communication and collaboration

For example, in a nursing simulation lab, nursing students might disagree about the possible causes or recommended nursing responses for a simulated patient in distress. Critical thinking skills are necessary for identifying the various treatment options and making the case for one of them, such as by pointing to evidence that supports a particular approach.

How Nursing Students Can Develop Critical Thinking Skills

Now that you have a firmer grasp of the answer to the question, “Why is critical thinking important in nursing students?” you might wonder how students can develop these skills. Our dedicated nursing instructors at Madonna will guide you in developing work-ready skills. Here are a few examples of steps you can take:

• Active study techniques: Instead of passively reviewing your learning materials and notes, use active study techniques that help develop critical thinking skills. For example, as you read, write down questions and try to answer them as you review. You can also relate the material to a case study, if available.
• Nursing simulation labs: In sim labs, you’ll work through a patient care scenario with other cohort members. You’ll apply the nursing process, which walks you through identifying the problem, developing a solution and evaluating the patient’s response. This is the perfect opportunity to exercise critical thinking skills like information gathering through observation.
• Clinical rotations: During clinical rotations, you’ll have opportunities to exercise your critical thinking skills in real-world clinical situations. When observing how other providers handle a particular patient care situation, challenge yourself to determine why they made a specific decision. Then, if time allows, ask them about it later.

Continuing to Nurture Nursing Critical Thinking on the Job

As a working nurse, you must exercise your critical thinking skills during each shift because your patients rely on you to make evidence-based decisions. Consider the following:

• Improving clinical judgment: You can work on enhancing your clinical judgment by first gathering all the relevant facts and then determining which intervention is necessary and appropriate. While multiple possible interventions can exist, you should choose the most appropriate one for the situation.
• Promoting medication safety: A nurse’s first job is to protect their patient’s health and safety. Instead of automatically administering whichever medication is indicated in a patient’s treatment plan, take a moment to reflect upon the situation. Is the medication and its dosage the most appropriate choice? Could there have been a prescribing error?
• Working collaboratively: No nurse is right 100% of the time. Keep an open mind and try not to assume your first instinct is always right. Instead, solicit the opinions of your colleagues.

The Long-Term Benefits of Critical Thinking in a Nursing Career

Critical thinking and nursing work in concert, and you cannot have a long and successful nursing career without honing your critical thinking skills. Consider the following:

Adjusting One’s Work

Nursing is a field in which priorities are continually shifting. You’ll apply critical thinking skills when determining which patients to see first, which medications to administer and which tasks take priority.

Patient Safety and Outcomes

As a nurse who prioritizes patient health and safety, patient outcomes will be at the top of your mind. Your critical thinking skills will aid you in helping your patients enjoy the best possible outcome and stay safe while under your care.

One way to work toward continuous improvement in your care is to practice self-reflection. At the end of each shift, think about the patient care scenarios you encountered. Was there something you could have done differently to promote favorable patient outcomes? If so, this is information you can apply the next time you encounter a similar situation.

Career Advancement

Although the benefit of critical thinking skills for patient care is undeniably the most important, critical thinking skills may also facilitate your career advancement. Nurses who are critical thinkers tend to work toward continuous improvement. They might enroll in continuing education and professional development courses, work toward professional certifications or pursue graduate degrees in nursing. These activities may pave the way for pursuing career advancement.

Advocate for Patients and System Improvements

Critical thinking skills can empower you to be a more effective patient advocate. For instance, let’s say you’re working with a patient who is prescribed blood pressure medication. Before administering it, you check their blood pressure and see that it’s already low. Instead of administering the medication regardless, you can use your critical thinking skills to identify a potential problem. Then, you can consider contacting the prescribing physician to discuss the potential for withholding the medication.

Similarly, you can apply critical thinking skills to identify potential improvements in your healthcare organization. How might your nursing unit deliver patient care more efficiently or effectively?

Find Out Why Madonna Nurses Are Different

At Madonna University, our nursing instructors challenge students to think critically about patient care scenarios and avoid making assumptions. In addition to cultivating critical thinking, our ABSN program emphasizes compassion and leadership.

You might be eligible to apply to our accelerated nursing degree program if you have a non-nursing bachelor’s degree or at least 60 college credits. Our ABSN program makes it possible to graduate with a BSN in as few as 16 months upon completing the prerequisites.

Contact our admissions representatives today to discover whether our ABSN program could be a good fit for you.