A systematic review of selected evidence on developing nursing students' critical thinking through problem-based...

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Professional Development

Background:

• The evolving healthcare landscape necessitates critical thinking skills in professional nurses.
• Nursing education employs various instructional strategies to foster critical thinking.
• Problem-based learning (PBL) is a collaborative, student-centered approach focused on problem-solving.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review existing evidence on the effectiveness of PBL in developing critical thinking among nursing students.
• To assess the quality and findings of studies investigating PBL's impact on nursing students' critical thinking.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review of computerized searches from 1990-2006 across databases like CINAHL, Proquest, Cochrane Library, and Pubmed.
• Inclusion criteria focused on studies comparing critical thinking in nursing students exposed to PBL.
• Two independent reviewers evaluated study eligibility, evidence levels, and methodological quality.

Main Results:

• Only ten studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising one RCT, one non-randomized controlled study, two quasi-experimental studies, and six descriptive studies.
• The overall quality of evidence was limited, with the RCT achieving a Jadad score of 3.
• The reviewed evidence did not conclusively demonstrate that PBL enhances critical thinking in nursing students.

Conclusions:

• Current evidence is insufficient to support the efficacy of PBL in developing critical thinking skills in nursing education.
• Further high-quality research with larger sample sizes is required to clarify PBL's effects on critical thinking development in nursing contexts.