Reflective and critical thinking in nursing curriculum.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Transversal Competences
• Higher Education

Background:

• Reflective and Critical Thinking (RCT) is essential for nursing problem-solving and decision-making.
• Evaluating the integration of RCT in nursing curricula is vital for enhancing professional competence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the teaching of Reflective and Critical Thinking (RCT) in nursing degree programs.
• Focus on public and private institutions within the Andean region.

Main Methods:

• A multi-center, cross-sectional, exploratory-descriptive study was conducted.
• A mixed-methods approach was employed across 5 countries.
• 76 nursing programs participated in the evaluation.

Main Results:

• Reflective and Critical Thinking (RCT) was identified as a distinct subject, integrated content, and utilized didactic strategies.
• RCT was present in 46% of humanities subjects and 42% of research/professional discipline subjects.
• Teacher training is crucial for aligning pedagogical models, teaching strategies, and evaluations.

Conclusions:

• Nursing programs in the Andean region incorporate critical thinking as a cognitive and communication skill.
• Teaching methods include real-situation analysis, supervised practice, simulation labs, and problem-based learning.
• These approaches aim to develop problem-solving, decision-making, and communication skills, including analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.