Critical Thinking in Nursing Education: Anatomy of a Course

KAYA H., Sen H., KEÇECİ A.

NEW EDUCATIONAL REVIEW, vol.23, no.1, pp.159-173, 2011 (SSCI) identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 23 Issue: 1
  • Publication Date: 2011
  • Journal Name: NEW EDUCATIONAL REVIEW
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.159-173
  • Keywords: thinking, critical thinking, nursing students, nursing education, qualitative research, SKILLS
  • Dokuz Eylül University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This study aimed to determine student opinions before and after the Critical Thinking course included in the curriculum of a school of nursing in Turkey. The study employed a descriptive phenomenological qualitative method and purposeful sampling. The study population consisted of a total of seven students attending the Critical Thinking course. Research data were collected through the Individual In-depth Interview technique and analyzed with the use of a descriptive analysis method. The findings revealed that the critical thinking course had a positive effect on students' opinions about critical thinking. To sum up, critical thinking should be offered as a separate course within curriculum, its efficiency should be subject to continuous assessment and the course should be continuously improved.