Teaching and Learning Activities That Promote Critical Thinking in Student Nurse Practitioners: A Rapid Review

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Professional Development

Background:

• Critical thinking is vital for safe Nurse Practitioner practice, underpinning clinical reasoning and judgment.
• Deficits in critical thinking are linked to adverse patient outcomes and diagnostic errors.
• Limited research exists on effective teaching strategies for developing critical thinking in Nurse Practitioners.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and review teaching and learning activities that promote critical thinking in Nurse Practitioners.
• To synthesize evidence on strategies impacting clinical reasoning, diagnostic reasoning, and clinical judgment.

Main Methods:

• A rapid review methodology guided by Cochrane Rapid Review Methods Group was employed.
• Systematic searches were conducted across four databases (CINAHL, Medline, Embase, ERIC).
• Included studies evaluated teaching or learning strategies for critical thinking development in Nurse Practitioner programs and practitioners.

Main Results:

• Twelve peer-reviewed articles were included in the final review.
• Teaching activities were categorized into classroom (e.g., problem-based learning), simulation (e.g., high-fidelity, virtual reality), and written (e.g., concept mapping) methods.
• Participants reported that a combination of diverse teaching and learning activities yielded the most significant improvements in critical thinking.

Conclusions:

• Knowledge regarding teaching strategies for Nurse Practitioner critical thinking remains limited.
• Simulation-based activities are the most researched, with a preference for their integration with other pedagogical approaches.
• Combined teaching strategies appear most effective for enhancing critical thinking in student Nurse Practitioners.