Chapter 5 Critical Thinking A lifelong Journey

A student completes an assessment of a patient and makes a decision about what to implement to care for the patient. Although the student is committed to particular activities, the patient is unhappy with the care. The student discusses the patient's response with the clinical instructor, who suggests other ways of looking at the patient's situation. The student refuses to consider these new perspectives and continues to insist that their decision is right. Which type of thinking describes this situation? a) All-or-none b) Negative c) Habitual d) Directed

a) All-or-none (All-or-none thinking occurs when the mind is made up and no other perspectives, such as that of the patient or instructor are considered.)

Which of the following is a characteristic of critical thinkers? a) Draws reasonable conclusions b) Doesn't need to ask questions c) Intelligent and easygoing d) Catches things that other people miss

a) Draws reasonable conclusions

Which is a true statement? a) Motivation influences critical thinking. b) Culture does not influence critical thinking. c) Being humble negatively affects critical thinking. d) Most individuals do not have the ability to think critically.

a) Motivation influences critical thinking.

As a nursing student, you observe that staff are rarely replaced when a staff member is ill on your unit. The unit manager explains that there is limited money to replace staff and costs of care must be kept at a reasonable level. Which statement describes this practice? a) The overall purpose of nursing is cost-effectiveness in patient care. b) Cost-effectiveness is important as long as patients are assisted to regain health. c) It is important to minimize cost even if patient care is affected. d) There likely is no other way to handle staff illness on the unit.

a) The overall purpose of nursing is cost-effectiveness in patient care. (The overall purpose of nursing is to assist people to stay well and to regain their maximum state of health as quickly as possible. This is to be accomplished in a cost-effective way and in a way that keeps the culture and beliefs of patients in mind.)

Which of the following is true of the knowledge level of thinking? a) Uses memorization to recall and repeat information b) Involves a basic understanding of the material c) Requires organization to relate several parts to a big picture d) Uses critical thinking to develop an advanced understanding

a) Uses memorization to recall and repeat information

judgments are made on facts not assumptions a.true b.false

a.true

knowledge

ability to recall and repeat info you have memorized

comprehension

ability to understand info, recall it and identify examples

analysis

able to break down info into its basic parts and relate that to the whole picture

application

able to use learned material in new situations

what you need to think critically

access info, comprehend info, store info in long term memory, determine what you know and dont know, recall comprehended info

Which action identifies what a nurse who practices critical thinking will implement? a) Stores comprehended information in short-term memory b) Accesses information c) Makes judgments based on assumptions d) Focuses on what is known and ignore what is not

b) Accesses information

On an examination, a student encounters a question that asks the student to prioritize nursing actions for a patient who is experiencing shortness of breath and chest pain. Which level of cognitive thinking does is addressed in this question? a) Application b) Analysis c) Comprehension d) Knowledge

b) Analysis (Analysis is an advanced level of application and involves organizing and prioritizing two or more pieces information so as to provide a safe response. Application means applying learned information to clinical situations.)

"I am constantly reevaluating, self-correcting, and striving to improve myself by learning new skills and attending classes and workshops." What type of thinking is this? a) Habitual b) Critical c) Random d) Ruminative

b) Critical

Critical thinking involves which of the following? a) Judgments made on facts and assumptions b) Engagement of the brain c) The use of criticism to get one's way d) Decisions based on emotions

b) Engagement of the brain

A LPN/LVN is asked to think about the subject of refusing medical care because of personal or religious beliefs. Which of the following is an example of a critical thinking process? a) I believe that care should never be refused for any reason. b) I need more information before I can make a decision. c) I already know everything I need to know about this subject. d) I decided a few years ago that refusing care is wrong unless you have a good reason.

b) I need more information before I can make a decision.

Capability in nursing involves: a) determining your source of motivation. b) knowing how to locate and comprehend information. c) using the four cognitive levels of thinking. d) organizing data before forming a hypothesis.

b) knowing how to locate and comprehend information.

Which factors influence critical thinking? a) Years of education b) Collaboration c) Maturity d) Reading skills

c) Maturity

Recognizing that one does not have all the answers is an example of: a) culture. b) motivation. c) a humble attitude. d) self-confidence.

c) a humble attitude.

Critical thinking is a process that involves: a) using creativity. b) analyzing data subjectively. c) collecting and organizing data. d) working independently of others.

c) collecting and organizing data.

Which level of thinking involves breaking down complex information into its basic parts? a) Knowledge b) Comprehension c) Application d) Analysis

d) Analysis

Which situation will interfere with and stop critical thinking? a) Moderate anxiety b) Amounts of factual information available c) Time limitation d) High level of fatigue

d) High level of fatigue

Which of the following statements demonstrates effective reading? a) I look up words I don't understand as soon as I come across them. b) I read everything at the same speed. c) I like to focus on every detail so that I don't miss anything. d) I read in phrases rather than word by word.

d) I read in phrases rather than word by word.

Which statement is true about critical thinking in nursing? a) It is driven by personal needs. b) It is only useful to solve problems. c) It does not use intuition. d) It uses logic.

d) It uses logic.

Why is it important for LPN/LVNs to practice and improve their thinking skills? a) It is not necessary to improve thinking skills. b) Fewer patients are involved in health care decisions, which requires the nurse to make more decisions. c) Progress has eliminated the need for critical thinking. d) Success or failure in the health care system is determined by one's ability to focus his/her thinking.

d) Success or failure in the health care system is determined by one's ability to focus his/her thinking.

non focused thinking

engage your brain out of habit without much conscious thought

problem oriented thinking

focus on a particular problem to find a solution (planning school work)

habitual thinking

involves any important routine that we do but doesnt require us to think hard about how to do it (autopilot)

critical thinking uses

logic and intuition, based on knowledge, skills and experience

all or none thinking

mind is made up, no additional facts will be considered (black and white thinking with no gray areas in between)

random thought/thinking

multiple short scenes and thoughts come and go and have no particular purpose (channel surfing)

critical thinking

problem solving method, improve a situation even when no problem exists

directed thinking

purposeful and outcome oriented

critical thinking entails

purposeful, informed, outcome focused thinking that requires careful identification of the problem, issues and risks involved

ruminative thinking

same scene replayed in the mind over and over without reaching an outcome (instant replay)

negative thinking

stuck on negative thoughts and blocks worthwhile thinking (emotional sabotage)

reading effectiveness

think about what your reading, ask peer for a challenge, make comparisons, identify significant application, organize data

factors that influence critical thinking

upbringing/culture, motivation, attitude, personal bias, effective reading, maturity, problem solving, communication skills, self confidence, moral development, anxiety