Operationalizing the Concept of Critical Thinking for Student Learning Outcome Development

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Professional Development

Background:

• Undergraduate nursing programs face challenges in cultivating critical thinking skills.
• Employers report new nursing graduates lack the ability to apply critical thinking, impacting patient outcomes.
• A lack of an operational definition for critical thinking hinders curriculum development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define critical thinking for undergraduate nursing education.
• To establish clear, measurable learning outcomes for critical thinking.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive concept analysis was performed.
• The literature was reviewed to identify attributes and antecedents of critical thinking.

Main Results:

• A single, consistent definition of critical thinking is absent in the literature.
• Numerous attributes and antecedents associated with critical thinking have been identified.

Conclusions:

• Framing curricular learning outcomes around operational attributes can enhance critical thinking.
• Improved critical thinking skills in nursing students can lead to better patient outcomes.