Chapter 7: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

· Studying Involves Four Processes

1. Refreshing One's Memory 2. Taking in New Information 3. Organizing and Memorizing Data 4. Making Connections among Information

Facts

Facts are realities: you can provide a source for your information. Opinions are beliefs and judgements

Analyze information objectively to form your own judgement

The information may come from your own observations, personal experience, and reasoning, or it may be data communicated to you by others.

The learning process begins when the

brain receives information. This information can be received through a variety of ways, but reading is common.

The analysis process involves

breaking information into parts that can be easily understood.

To determine whether information gathered has value or relevance, evaluate it by?

by assessing which conclusions are supported by facts and research.

Working Memory

describes how the brain stores and retrieves information from short-term and long-term memory.

Cover information in what size?

in small amounts at a time. Information is more easily absorbed in chunks.

scientific problem solving

is a systematic problem-solving process that involves the following 7 steps

To choose a good study area, you also need to think about

lighting, temperature, and surroundings.

Questions to ask when choosing study area

o Are there a lot of other people in the same area who could interrupt me? o Are there things in the are that will distract me from studying? o Is there a TV or radio in the area that might be turned on? o Is there a phone that might ring too often? o Is this area easy for me to get to regularly? o Is the temperature comfortable? If it isn't, can I change it? o Will cooking odors come into this area, making me feel hungry and distracted? o Is this area big enough so that it won't get cluttered when I spread out all my materials? o Is there enough light so that I can read without straining my eyes?

· The following things will help you be more alert and avoid distractions while studying.

o Background music can promote relaxed alertness which stimulates learning. It also may improve your recall. But avoid music that is too long or tempts you to sing along. o Rather than music, some people like what is called white noise which blocks out other sounds without creating a distraction. o Avoid phone. o No TV

· Critical Thinkers have the following qualities.

o Fair-minded Autonomy Perseverance Integrity Creativity Humility Confidence

Effective Critical Thinking in health care has 4 features

o It is purposeful and results-oriented o It is based on principles of health care practice and the scientific method, which means that judgments are based on evidence rather than guesswork o It is guided by professional standards and ethics codes o It is self-correcting through constant reevaluation and reflects a desire to improve.

· As you read, ask yourself questions about the material to ensure that you understand what you're reading.

o Pay special attention to bold and italicized print o Write main paragraph points in page margins or a notebook o Read everything, including tables, graphs, and illustrations.

Health care professions use critical thinking and problem-solving skills when

they are confronted with situations that require quick and clear minded decision making.

To review something that you've studied, you rely on your

working memory

Perception Phase

you give meaning to the information.

reception phase

you take in information without yet knowing what it means.

Selection pHase

your brain recognizes information as important or unimportant.

Example of Acrostics

· 12 cranial nerves: On Old Olympus' Towering Tops, A Finn and a Swedish Girl Viewed Some Hops o Olfactory Nerve o Optic Nerve o Oculomotor Nerve o Trochlear Nerve o Trigeminal Nerve o Abducens Nerve o Facial Nerve o Sensorimotor Nerve o Glossopharyngeal Nerve o Vagus Nerve o Spinal Accessory Nerve o Hypoglossal Nerve

Lighting

· A good study area needs enough light that can be controlled. · Light is very important too much will make your eyes hurt while too little will force you to strain your eyes. The light should shine evenly over all your work and not directly into your eyes.

Surroundings

· A study area should be inviting. It should make you feel good and encourage you to want to spend time there. A pleasant space can help you be more alert.

Acrostics

· Acrostics are phrases or sentences created from the first letter of each item on a list.

Avoid studying where?

· Avoid studying in bed because it is comfortable and taking a nap will be tempting.

Form opinions with great?

· Form opinions with great care are willing to revise even cherished opinions, whenever they provide to be in error.

Study Groups

· Some people learn new information better by explaining it to someone else. By explaining it, they are active processing the information or thinking it about it more clearly and deeply. · Studying a small group can be helpful to all group members because everyone is thinking out loud sharing their ideas and learning from one another. · Even if a study group is unable to answer everyone's questions, hearing other thoughts on a subject is a good way to learn.

Music

· The addition of a melody helps trigger memory. · Making up a short jingle to go along with new material can make it much easier to recall the information later.

Study Area should be what size?

· The area should be large enough to arrange all study materials.

Best Temperature to Study

· The best temperature to study if between 65 and 70 ℉ (18 to 21 ℃). · The best way to make sure that a study area is set to a comfortable temperature is to try it out for yourself. · A half your is enough to see if the area is comfortable. · Be aware that a nearby air conditioner or heating vent can make you too cold or too hot, or a nearby door may cause you to feel a draft.

i. Autonomy vs. Conformity

· To be a critical thinker, you must think for yourself and make your own conclusions. · Critical thinkers are committed to analyzing and evaluating beliefs and values, they don't accept the established way of doing things.

How should critical thinking be used?

· Use critical thinking continually and proactively thinking about the tasks at hand, applying your knowledge and skills in a thoughtful and "present" ways and not relying on actions and skills.

Intuitive Problem Solving definition

· When a person instinctively without logical thinking identifies a solution to a problem based on similarity or dissimilarity to other problems, he or she is using intuitive problem solving.

Intuitive Problem Solving

· While some health care Sheerest San educators argue that clinical judgments should be based on data alone others acknowledge the role intuition plays in clinical decision making.

Acronyms

· are words created from the first letter of each word in a phrase or each item on a list. o RICE: treatment of musculoskeletal injuries § Rest § Ice § Compression § Elevation

Steps of Scientific Problem Solving

1. Problem Identification 2. Data collection 3. Hypothesis formulation 4. Plan of action 5. Hypothesis testing 6. Interpretation of results 7. Evaluation

· Sometimes despite our best effort's information is forgotten · However, it may still be possible to retrieve that information

1. Say or write down everything you can remember about the information you're seeking 2. Try to recall events or information in a different order 3. Recreate the learning environment or relive the event. Include sound, smells, and details about the weather, objects, or people who were there. Try to capture what you said thought or felt at the time.

· Follow these steps to form associations as you study:

1. Select the information to remembered. 2. Create an association to the information · The most affective associations are personal such as associating a song, a person, or a scent with the item being remembered.

What makes more space for more data in short term memory?

Grouping makes space for more data in short term memory

· However, you can use several fun strategies to help you store information your long-term memory.

Make Associations, Make Acronyms and Acrostics, Flashcards, Music, Study Groups

Effective Study Schedule

Studying one-hour sessions with breaks in between sessions is a productive study schedule

Learning involves much more than short-term memorization

To truly learn something, you must understand the subject fully, so that you can recall it and apply it when necessary.

Acronyms and acrostics work especially well when it's hard to find

a personal memory or other associations for a piece of data.

As a health care professional, you continually gather and analyze?

and analyze information and evaluate results of a daily basis.

A career in health care involves lifelong learning in life of studying so it is important to learn

effective study skills. · Many strategies can help both students and health care professionals make the most of their study time and resources.

Research has shown that short term memory can hold only

five to nine chunks of information, depending on how well the information is grouped.

Critical thinking allows you to achieve results through?

focused thinking

Then review all the resources related to upcoming tasks such as:

o Reading texts o Reviewing notes o Studying patient files o Analyzing test results o Consulting fellow learners or colleagues Examining additional resources

Break information into parts and ask a few basic questions

o What is the main purpose of each article? o What is the most important information in each article? o What data supports the main purpose of each article? o What are the key concepts or most important ideas in each article? How do they relate to the article's main purpose? What message is the author trying to convey?

Health care professionals follow the same analytical process. When analyzing patient information, ask these questions

o What is the main purpose of this patient's visit? o What is the most important information given by this patient? o What data support the information presented by the patient? o What are the key concepts or most important ideas learned from the information? How does each relate to the patient's purpose? o What message is the patient trying to communicate?

· If you are unsure if it is fact or opinion, treat it as ?

opinion.

Acronyms and acrostics connect

pieces of information to a new, but easily remembered, word of phrase, improving a person's ability to retain the information.

Whether reading, listening, or using other memes, the process of learning information has three parts:

reception, perception, and selection.

After information has been grouped

the brain either forgets it or moves it to long-term memory, where it is organized and stored for longer periods. · How long depends on how completely the information is processed and how often you recall and use it.

Although critical thinking and problem solving are two separate skills

they're both useful tools for making good decisions and finding the best solution to a problem.

i. Getting the Group Together

· A successful study group has members who reflect the 4 c's: o Committed - truly interested in learning the material o Contributing - willing to share their knowledge o Compatible - able to overlook differences and focus on studying together o Considerate - willing to arrive for studying on time · It's easier to stay on task when everyone in the group is interested in the same thing If the group becomes larger than 4 or 5, It shold break up into smaller groups making it easier to review all the necessary material and answer each other's questions.

Where is the scientific problem solving used?

· Because of the demands of scientific proof, it is used in a controlled setting to carry out experiments.

Temperature

· Being too cold is starting and it is difficult to take notes with cold fingers · However, being too hot can cause heat stress which impairs mental sharpness and can lead to drowsiness.

A. Improving Your Critical Thinking Skills

· Clarify Your Thinking: What is the real meaning? Estate your point in different words, give examples, and ask those receiving to summarize to make sure your point got across. · Discipline Your Thinking: Focus your thinking on what is relevant to the task at hand or the problem you're trying to solve. · Ask meaningful questions: What types of questions do you typically ask? · Be willing to change your mind

Critical Thinking

· Critical Thinking = defined by Dr. Richard Pail, Director of Research and Professional development at the Center for Critical Thinking, is a systematic way to form and shape one's thinking. It functions purposefully and exactingly. It is thought that is disciplined, comprehensive, based on intellectual standards, and as a result, well-reasoned."

i. Fair Mindedness vs. Unfair-Mindedness

· Critical Thinking is not based on stereotypes or unreasoned opinions. · Critical Thinkers are open to all viewpoints and evaluate the viewpoints equally. · This enables them to consider opposing points of view and understand new ideas fully before accepting or rejecting them.

i. Confidence vs. Distrust

· Critical thinkers believe that well-reasoned thinking will lead to trustworthy conclusions, so they confidence in the reasoning process.

Information is more easily forgotten when

· Information is more easily forgotten when you're not very interested in the subject, when you lack a real purpose for learning, or when you have few or no connections between the memory and other pieces of information.

i. Integrity vs. Deceit

· Integrity means that a person applies the same rigorous standards of proof to his or her own knowledge and beliefs as the person would apply to the knowledge and beliefs of others. · They question their own knowledge and beliefs as thoroughly as they challenge those of colleagues, patients, and others.

Basic Problem-Solving Approach in Actions

· Involves 5 steps. 1. Identify the Problem 2. Gather Information and Identify Possible Solutions 3. Select the Best option 4. Implement the Solution 5. Evaluate the Results

Trial and Error Problem Solving is effective when?

· It is effective for some aspects of everyday life it is not an effective technique for health care professionals and could be dangerous for patients.

Study Area

· Look for a location free of distractions

Make Associations

· Making links between familiar items and new information helps you remember the new information · Once established these links become automatic. · Each time you recall a familiar item you also remember the information associated with it.

Why is it so hard to study sometimes for students?

· Many individuals feel overwhelmed at the thought of studying an unfamiliar subject. · Any little distraction can divert their attention and keep them from sitting efficiently. To really learn and understand something you must first learn the right way to study.

Making the Most of the Group Session

· Mutual Support · Working in a group reinforces what you have learned and depends understanding of complex concepts. o Determine Objectives. Group members need to know what they're doing to achieve at each session. The group might want to pick a designated or rotating leader to set the objectives. o Prepare in Advance. Group members need to come to the study session prepared, by reading, reviewing notes, or doing whatever else needs to be done. This will help to make the most of everyone's time together. o Alternate Instruction. When group members take turns instructing the group, everyone in the group learns the material better. o Focus on the task. The group needs to stay on the topic at hands. The group leader needs to steer the group back if it veers off that topic.

i. Humility vs. Arrogance

· People who are humble are aware of the limits of their knowledge. Being willing to admit what you don't know is an important characteristic of a critical thinker

i. Perseverance vs. Laziness

· Perseverance requires dedication and determination to find an effective solution to a problem. Important issues are often complex and confusing and require a great deal of thought and research in order to reach the best solution. · Instead of finding the easiest solution when a situation is confusing, a critical thinker will persevere to find the best solution.

i. Creativity vs. Lack of Creativity

· Question best way to accomplish a task. · CT will value traditional solutions to problems, they also recognize that more creative solutions may be needed

Short Term Memory

· Short term memory is limited. It lasts as little as 15 seconds and can't store a great deal of information.

Flashcards

· are an effective study tool for learning new material or reviewing information. · Flashcards are an effective study tool for learning new material or reviewing information. · Write a term on onside of the card and the definition, formula, or other information about the term on the other side. · Mix up the cards to ensure that you understand each term separately, rather than as part of a certain sequence.

Scientific Problem Solving is a more complex version of the?

· basic problem-solving method.

Daily preparation

· helps you to keep up with your coursework or job. · To prepare per each day make to do lists and make a daily planner.

Trial and Error Problem Solving

· involves testing any number of solutions until one is found that solves a problem.

Many health care professionals can describe situations in which an inner prompting led to a

· quick intervention that saved a patient's life.

To ensure, you remember information you've received, you should

· review it ideally immediately after receiving it.

Once information has been received and reviewed the problem most people face is making sure that

· that the information stays in your long-term memory. · This can be difficult especially if the information isn't used regularly.

If you're able to think critically and make goods judgements based on information you gather

· you'll have a positive impact on patients' health.