A comparison of critical thinking abilities between accelerated and traditional baccalaureate nursing students

Critical thinking is an outcome expected of all nursing graduates. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of an accelerated nursing curriculum on students' abilities to think critically. The Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA) was used to measure the critical thinking ability of the student nurses. The sample consisted of two groups of BSN students: traditional (n = 45) and accelerated (n = 43). Both groups completed the WGCTA at the beginning and end of their nursing course sequence. Findings revealed a significant difference between the test scores of the two group at the beginning of the curriculum (t = -2.42) but no significant difference at the end (t = -1.76). Findings also revealed significant differences in pre- and post-curriculum test scores of traditional students (t = -2.84) but no difference for accelerated students (t = -1.65). Findings have implications for BSN program development.