Critical thinking habits of the mind
The healthcare system continuously becomes complex due to technological advancement, diverse patient acuity, and the emergence of new diseases. Therefore, nurses should continually improve their metacognitive and cognitive skills to suit these situations. According to Paul & Elder (2013), the acquisition of critical thinking skills needs conscious commitment. Critical thinking skills are essential to predict diagnoses and authenticate prescribed interventions through constant critical review. A nurse that employs critical thinking in the delivery of patient care uses clinical reasoning founded on scientific evidence (Turpin & Higgs, 2017). Therefore, promoting proper decision making and higher diagnostic accuracy, which enhance quality nursing care and reduce medical errors.
In nursing, critical thinking is essential in clinical reasoning to enable the nurse to think logically and systematically. Besides, critical thinking allows the nurse to reflect on the reasoning process utilized to ensure safe nursing care (Turpin & Higgs, 2017). According to Jacob et al. (2017), critical thinking enables the nurse to adhere to intellectual standards, have expertise in using reasoning, and become committed to developing and maintaining intellectual habits of the mind and uses sound clinical judgment in decision-making.
Scenario from nursing practice
Johannes is a 52-year old male who was admitted to the medical floor 8 hours ago for nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. He has an intravenous line with normal saline fixed and infused to him. On reporting on duty in the morning, you enter his room and notice that the patient’s emesis basin is full of vomitus. At his bedside, there is a bedpan full of watery bowel movement. The patient reports dizziness has poor skin turgor, dry mucous membranes, and sunken eyes. On the evaluation of his blood pressure and pulse, his BP was 87/59mmHg, and his pulse was 124bpm. The patient reports to the nurse that he had traveled out of the country to Mexico, and on arrival, he began experiencing nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Questions
What could be the problem?
What should you assess as a nurse?
What interventions must you institute to resolve the problem?
References
Jacob, E., Duffield, C., & Jacob, D. (2017). A protocol for the development of a critical thinking assessment tool for nurses using a Delphi technique. Journal of advanced nursing, 73(8), 1982-1988.
Turpin, M., & Higgs, J. (2017). Clinical reasoning and evidence-based practice. Evidence-based practice: Across the health professions, 364-383.
Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2013). Critical thinking: Tools for taking charge of your professional and personal life. Pearson Education.