Revisiting Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment in Nursing Education

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Cognitive Processes
• Clinical Practice

Background:

• Critical thinking is fundamental to clinical judgment but often overlooked as a skill to be developed.
• Nursing curricula may de-emphasize cognitive processes in favor of observable performance and competency frameworks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To clarify the role of critical thinking in developing clinical judgment within nursing education.
• To re-examine the integration of critical thinking in nursing curricula.

Main Methods:

• Literature review examining the relationship between critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and clinical judgment.
• Analysis of educational strategies and their impact on critical thinking development.

Main Results:

• Critical thinking is foundational to clinical reasoning and judgment.
• Current educational frameworks may not adequately address critical thinking due to a focus on observable outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Developing clinical judgment requires deliberate focus on the underlying thinking processes.
• Intentional strategies are necessary to make critical thinking visible and central to nursing practice.