Critical thinking of beginning baccalaureate nursing students during the first clinical nursing course

The development of critical thinking is an essential component of baccalaureate nursing education and yet little is known about beginning nursing students' critical thinking abilities in making clinical decisions. The purpose of this study was to describe the critical thinking of seven beginning baccalaureate nursing students during their first clinical nursing course. Qualitative methodology using the case study approach was used to describe students' critical thinking from their perspectives. Sources of data for describing students' critical thinking included reflective journal writing, interviews, and the researcher's nonparticipatory lab observations. Paul's (1993) dimensions of reasoning were used as a framework to describe students' critical thinking. Four major themes revealed through the data analysis were: development of the professional self-perspective, development of a perfectionist perspective, development of a caring perspective, and development of a self-directed learning perspective. The descriptive nature of the study indicated that beginning students do indeed think critically. Opportunities for dialogue in a supportive environment are instrumental in facilitating students' critical thinking and growth as reflective practitioners.