Delaware Technical Community College

Nursing Department
Critical Thinking Activity
You will be assigned two clients to complete a critical thinking activity. You will not be
providing client care on the day you are scheduled to complete the assignment. Your focus will
be comparing and contrasting the two clients assigned to you. You will present your findings in
post conference that day. Your peers will be evaluating your presentation with a rubric. If you do
not receive 75%, you will be required to write your findings in a paper format to be turned in the
following Tuesday. The instructor will grade the written assignment. If unsuccessful on 2nd
written attempt, faculty will meet to determine if clinical objectives can be met.
1. Collect information on history, other pre-existing conditions (that you believe is related
to current diagnosis), diet, medications, lab values and x-ray results, treatments, activity
of daily living abilities.
2. Define diagnosis, look up medicines, define lab values and ranges and compare the
normal to the clients results and explain
3. Visit the client and perform an assessment.
4. Compare and contrast each client, noting how what you learned in the textbook
compares with what you are seeing, and identify what is different and why.
5. Discuss all the clients information and note reasons why diet, medicines, treatments
vary from client to client.
6. Discuss the assessment findings and note when specific findings would be out of range,
what those would be, and what nursing action would you take to correct problem.
7. Note possible complications for each client and nursing interventions to prevent those
complications.
8. Include ancillary departments needed to help with the clients needs (discharge planning;
respiratory department; nutritional consult, etc.)
9. What teaching strategies would you use to ensure safety and prevent re-admission?
10. Identify collaboration with other disciplines to ensure the best client outcome.
11. Find 2 NCLEX questions related to diagnosis.

6/27/14:NH/MF