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Taking care of these patients is not an easy job. Apart from close monitoring,
countless referrals to the resident doctors, and doing bedside care, we also
have more things to be concerned about. Also, we have 20 other patients we
have in the ward who need nursing care and attention and sometimes it is a
one nurse-one ward ratio. For that reason, time-management, proper
prioritization and competent clinical decision-making are vital. These traits
all boil down to one concept and that is critical thinking. I must admit though
that I have yet to learn more and have yet to develop my critical thinking
skills.
All the other reasons why critical thinking is important in nursing is
underlined by Patricia Benner in chapter 6 of the book: Patient Safety and
Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. Critical thinking is
important in nursing because it allows nurses to:
1. Use nursing and other appropriate theories and models, and an
appropriate ethical framework;
Nursing theories and models guide nurses to render effective nursing care
and to understand patients better. Through critical thinking, nurses will be
able to apply the most appropriate nursing model in any given scenario.
2. Apply research-based knowledge from nursing and the sciences as the
basis for practice;
Evidence-based practice in nursing is crucial. Critical thinking enables nurses
to interpret and correlated research findings with the current practice. It also
enables nurses to effectively apply evidence-based practice in the work
place.
3. Use clinical judgment and decision-making skills;
Through critical thinking, nurses are able to make competent and sound
decisions especially in the care of patients in critical condition.
4. Evaluate nursing care outcomes through the acquisition of data and the
questioning of inconsistencies, allowing for the revision of actions and goals;
Critical thinking enables nurses to assess the quality of care they render to
their patients. Consequently, they are able to modify their plan of care to
better serve their patients and to achieve the goals and objectives he/she
has set for them.