Critical Thinking and Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing
Critical Thinking and Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing
Critical thinking refers to the concept of a purposeful regulatory judgment or goal-based consideration. In contrast, evidence-based practice refers to the conscientious, judicious, and explicit application of current best proof in the decision making process. Critical thinking in nursing entails applying alternative explanations to a nursing situation like implementation, patient assessment, or diagnosis (Falcó‐Pegueroles et al., 2020). Therefore, critical thinking is vital in nursing, as nurses are always faced with difficult situations that require informed judgments, critical decision-making, and rigorous learning. In most scenarios, nurses employ critical thinking as an appropriate way to save a patient's life. Critical thinking involves professional expertise and abilities which are used in nursing to improve patient outcomes (Cui et al., 2018).
On the other hand, the evidence-based practice considers the patient's input. As a result, evidence-based practice entails a thorough question development, clinical findings, diagnosis, therapy, and prevention of disorders (André, Aune & Brænd, 2016). Evidence-based practice can be understood as a decision-making mechanism that involves complex decisions across various conflicting teams. It also entails research and other forms of proof regularly in an attempt to make healthcare-related decisions (Falcó‐Pegueroles et al., 2020).
Critical thinking is a vital component of evidence-based nursing practice. It improves nursing care and plays a crucial role in enhancing positive patient outcomes in various healthcare environments (André, Aune & Brænd, 2016). However, the nature of evidence-based practice, its significance to nursing practice and the abilities required to implement it should be a basic component of baccalaureate education and need to be introduced at an early stage of students' development (Cui et al., 2018). Therefore, early preparation of learners to develop critical thinking skills is essential to support evidence-based practice.
References
André, B., Aune, A. G., & Brænd, J. A. (2016). Embedding evidence-based practice among nursing undergraduates: results from a pilot study. Nurse Education in Practice, 18, 30-35.
Cui, C., Li, Y., Geng, D., Zhang, H., & Jin, C. (2018). The effectiveness of evidence-based nursing on development of nursing students' critical thinking: A meta-analysis. Nurse education today, 65, 46-53.
Falcó‐Pegueroles, A., Rodríguez‐Martín, D., Ramos‐Pozón, S., & Zuriguel‐Pérez, E. (2020). Critical thinking in nursing clinical practice, education and research: From attitudes to virtue. Nursing Philosophy, e12332.
