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Problem-Solving Before Instruction (PS-I): A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities

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The critical difference assignment: an innovative instructional method.

Virginia Ann Utterback¹, Deborah Davenport, Belinda Gallegos

¹Texas A & M Health Science Center College of Nursing, 8447 SH 47 Office 3024, Bryan, TX 77807, USA. Utterback@tamhsc.edu

The Journal of Nursing Education

|November 17, 2011

Summary

Nurse educators developed a Critical Difference Assignment to enhance nursing students' clinical judgment. This method uses case studies to improve reasoning and decision-making skills in new graduates.

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Area of Science:

Nursing Education
Clinical Judgment Development
Pedagogical Strategies

Background:

Nurse educators face challenges in equipping graduates with essential skills like clinical judgment.
Clinical judgment is crucial for effective nursing decision-making and action.
Current educational methods need to evolve to meet graduate expectations.

Purpose of the Study:

To introduce and pilot a novel instructional method, the Critical Difference Assignment.
To foster the development of clinical judgment in nursing students.
To evaluate a new approach for enhancing critical thinking and reasoning skills.

Main Methods:

Development and piloting of the Critical Difference Assignment.
Utilizing small groups for collaborative learning.
Engaging students in comparing and contrasting case study data to stimulate reasoning.

Main Results:

The Critical Difference Assignment was successfully piloted at a southwestern university.
The method requires students to use reasoning to differentiate between case studies.
This process aims to enhance the intellectual processing of clinical information.

Conclusions:

The Critical Difference Assignment shows potential as an effective tool for developing clinical judgment.
This instructional strategy supports the cultivation of essential reasoning skills in nursing students.
Further evaluation is needed to confirm the impact on graduate preparedness.