The critical thinking abilities of RNs entering university courses

The critical thinking abilities of groups of registered nurses (n 143) who were entering the post-registration Bachelor of Nursing or one of the four graduate diploma in nursing courses offered by Griffith University were assessed using the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Test. The mean scores of the Bachelor of Nursing student group, none of whom had attended university, were significantly lower than the mean scores of the graduate diploma students who had no experience of tertiary education. There was not a significant difference in the mean scores of the group who were accepted into the graduate diploma courses on the basis of previous university studies and the group whose acceptance was based on prior learning in non-tertiary courses and/or clinical nursing experience. There were also no significant differences in the mean scores of groups of students entering the four graduate diploma courses. Some implications of these findings for students and for the development and implementation of curricula are discussed.