Development of a Critical Reflection Mentorship Program to Enhance Critical Thinking Among Novice Nurses

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Clinical Practice Development

Background:

• Increasing healthcare complexity and decreasing nursing experience threaten patient safety.
• A critical need exists to connect expert and novice nurses for critical thinking development.
• Novice nurses require enhanced support to navigate complex clinical environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development and pilot evaluation of the Beyond the Bedside critical reflection mentorship program.
• To assess the program's impact on novice nurses' critical thinking skills.
• To provide a model for enhancing nursing expertise in academic health centers.

Main Methods:

• The Beyond the Bedside program was implemented across three inpatient units.
• Critical thinking was measured using the Nursing Critical Thinking in Clinical Practice Questionnaire (N-CT-4 Practice).
• Pre- and postprogram evaluations were conducted with participating nurses.

Main Results:

• Five nurses completed both pre- and postprogram evaluations.
• A statistically significant increase in N-CT-4 Practice mean scores was observed postimplementation.
• The program demonstrated positive effects on critical thinking development.

Conclusions:

• Healthcare leaders should prioritize critical thinking programs for novice nurses.
• The Beyond the Bedside program is a viable model for enhancing nursing critical thinking.
• This mentorship approach can be adapted to various healthcare settings to improve patient safety and outcomes.