Those who are naturally loving, compassionate, and have an aptitude for science or

anatomy tend to be drawn to careers in nursing. The capacity to think critically is a crucial trait

shared by effective nurses, yet it's frequently disregarded. Throughout nursing school, you

acquire a wide range of practical skills, such as how to bandage a wound expertly, take vital

signs expertly, or start an IV without flinching. Yet without the capacity for clear thinking and

logical decision-making, those abilities by themselves won't go you very far; you also need the

capacity for critical thought.

According to Meinke (2021), she stated that in the course of providing care for patients,

nurses are put in circumstances where they must make decisions. The decision-making process

and the standard of care are driven by nursing critical thinking abilities. For instance, triage

choices in the emergency room are frequently made by nurses. They must decide which patients

should be treated first because there are too many patients and not enough personnel. They

utilize their skills to assess the patient's vital signs and state of awareness, but they must exercise

critical thought to weigh the risks of delaying treatment in each situation.

Inevitably, as a nurse, you'll come across a situation with several options or treatments,

and you'll have to choose the one that will benefit your patient the most. You must have the

ability to analyze events swiftly and confidently and decide how best to provide care in each

specific situation. Your ability to think critically will guide your decision-making in these kinds

of circumstances. As stated in the article of Carson-Newman (2022), with deliberate

consideration and regular application, critical thinking in nursing gets better. Regarding their use

of critical thinking, nurse practitioners should consult with their peers and mentors. Regular

patient-care cooperation also puts an emphasis on evidence-based care rather than subjective

judgments. It is simpler to apply critical thinking in nursing when one has up-to-date knowledge
about nursing resources and instruments. The knowledge that nurse practitioners have acquired

over their careers is reinforced through medical publications and continuing education programs.

In light of this, developing critical thinking abilities is extremely important for everyone,

but it's more crucial for nurses because it's an essential part of their job and helps them make

decisions. Critical thinking abilities in nursing are increasingly widely recognized as being

important. Even if we currently employ critical thinking techniques on a daily basis, we may still

endeavor to improve them. When we put it into practice more, we'll get better at it and it will

come to us more naturally. The ability to process and evaluate information, address clinical

issues, and make decisions about what to do are all made possible by critical thinking in nursing.

Yet, rather than emphasizing critical thinking, teaching, and assessment frequently place more

emphasis on the memorization of clinical care facts and specifics.

REFERENCES

 Carson-Newman University Online. (2022, September 15). The importance of critical

thinking in nursing. Online FNP Programs | Carson-Newman University.

https://onlinenursing.cn.edu/news/value-critical-thinking-nursing

 Oermann, M., Truesdell, S., & Ziolkowski, L. (2000). Strategy to assess, develop, and

evaluate critical thinking. Journal of continuing education in nursing, 31(4), 155–191.

https://doi.org/10.3928/0022-0124-20000701-06

 Meinke, H. (2021, June 5). Why critical thinking skills in nursing matter (And what you

can do to develop them). Rasmussen University - Online and On Campus | Rasmussen

University. https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/nursing/blog/understanding-why-nurses-

need-critical-thinking-skills/