January 21st Journal Reflections on Critical Thinking in Nursing

Reflections on Critical Thinking in Nursing

Critical thinking is a valued skill in the medical field. A number of symptoms can represent a variety of different diagnoses. The skill includes taking multiple symptoms and lab values to determine what is physiologically happening to a patient and then understanding what action to take. Continued training would be helpful for nurses to hone their critical thinking abilities. Determining nursing diagnoses in a timely manner makes a difference. 

One example is recognizing the symptoms of a stroke patient. The sooner medical staff begin treatment, the greater the chance of recovery.

At work we have online continued education modules we can access to help us develop these skills. Some are mandatory, however, the rest are optional. I like having the option to further my education when we have downtime. The medical field is a complex area of study that takes time and experience to master. A variety of learning styles help me cement in the the information. I tend to recall video and other visual experiences the most, aside from doing. These online modules include videos and audio learning help. Watching role plays are one of my favorite ways to learn. I've read in the past that the more senses that are used in the learning process, the better the chance for recall. These modules use auditory and visual senses. Hands on learning including in work settings, in services and practical exams often use the other senses. I feel a variety of learnings styles should be used in order to help nurses develop critical thinking skills.