Explanatory Sequential Examination of Senior Baccalaureate Nursing Students' Critical Thinking after Participating in a Skills Fair
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Authors
Gonzalez, Heidi C.
Issue Date
2022-07-27
Type
Dissertation
Language
en_US
Keywords
Critical thinking , Nursing students , Active learning , Ability
Alternative Title
Abstract
Despite decades of research being conducted on the lack of critical thinking (CT) and the education-practice gap in new nursing graduates, the problem continues to exist. The lack of CT has been directly linked to medication errors, patient falls, and the failure to rescue which affect patient care and safety. A call to transform nursing education to promote CT and evidence-based practice is essential to bridging the gap between education and practice. Due to the rapidly changing and complex environment of health care today, the need for CT skills in the nursing graduate is more important than ever. Transitioning from passive teaching practices toward active learning strategies is recommended in nursing education to promote CT by engaging the learner and triggering cognitive development. An opportunity to create an active, innovative Skills Fair intervention grounded in Constructivist Learning Theory became available to a baccalaureate nursing program. The purpose of this mixed-methods case study was to investigate the effects of an innovative Skills Fair intervention on senior baccalaureate nursing students’ achievement and their perceptions of CT skills development. The instrument utilized to measure CT was the Kaplan Critical Thinking Integrated Test. Eleven one-on-one student interviews were conducted to obtain the qualitative data. Although the results of the quantitative data showed no significant difference in achievement of CT between the participant and non-participant groups, during the interviews the participants did identify the Skills Fair intervention as a CT skills developmental strategy by helping them develop alternative thinking and thinking before doing. The interview data also revealed a combination of internal and external factors that influenced the development of CT skills during the Skills Fair. The main implication of the study is participants perceived the Skills Fair intervention as a CT developmental strategy. This information is useful for nurse educators in planning their own active learning activities to promote evidence-based practice and CT to mitigate the education-practice gap and improve patient outcomes. Recommendations for future research include expanding the topic by including other regions, larger samples, other baccalaureate nursing programs, and other participants. An additional recommendation is to examine the effects of a more rigorous Skills Fair intervention in developing CT, studying the link between confidence and CT in nursing students, and defining the expectations of CT for the baccalaureate nurse.