Teaching critical thinking through a health-promotion contract

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Health Promotion
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Critical thinking is essential in contemporary nursing education.
• Integrating theoretical concepts into practical application is a key challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a nursing education assignment designed to foster critical thinking skills.
• To enable students to apply critical thinking to health promotion and behavioral contracting.

Main Methods:

• The assignment is structured around the established steps of the nursing process.
• Students create, execute, and assess a personal health-promotion contract.
• The exercise requires students to adopt both nurse and patient perspectives.

Main Results:

• Students integrate knowledge of health promotion principles.
• Students apply behavioral contracting strategies effectively.
• Students develop a nuanced understanding of critical thinking in nursing.

Conclusions:

• This assignment provides a practical framework for developing critical thinking in nursing students.
• It successfully merges health promotion, behavioral contracting, and the nursing process.
• The dual-perspective approach enhances learning and prepares students for real-world scenarios.