Using unfolding case studies to develop critical thinking skills in baccalaureate nursing students: A pilot study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Professional Development
• Pedagogy in Health Sciences

Background:

• New graduate nurses often lack adequate critical thinking skills for clinical practice.
• Unfolding case studies promote critical thinking through information seeking, logical reasoning, and data analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of unfolding case studies on baccalaureate nursing students' critical thinking skills.
• To compare the effectiveness of unfolding versus traditional case studies in an Adult Health Theory course.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study utilized a non-experimental correlational design at a university in Wisconsin.
• Compared examination scores of 160 students using unfolding case studies (intervention) with 142 students using traditional case studies (control).
• An independent-samples t-test analyzed differences in mean examination scores between the groups.

Main Results:

• The intervention group (unfolding case studies) achieved significantly higher mean examination scores (M=234.9) than the control group (M=228.2).
• The difference in scores was statistically significant (p < .001).

Conclusions:

• Unfolding case studies are more effective in developing nursing students' critical thinking abilities.
• This pedagogical approach better prepares students for the complexities of clinical practice.