Enhancing Critical Thinking with Case Studies and Nursing Process

Abstract

Challenged to enhance critical thinking concepts in a sophomore nursing process course, faculty expanded the lecture format to include group explorations of patient case studies. The group format facilitated a higher level of analysis of patient cases and more sophisticated applications of nursing process. This teaching strategy was a positive learning experience for students and faculty.

Effects of a Nursing Literature Reading Course on Promoting Critical Thinking in Two-Year Nursing Program Students

“…In rela tion to the effect on stu dents' crit i cal think ing skills, it was in part evi denced in the stu dents' self-evaluation for learn ing the course. The expe ri ence stu dents had in read ing and writ ing was con gru ent with the find ings of Fopma-Loy & Ulrich (1997), Neill et al (1997) and White head (2002). Stu dents employed the cog ni tive think ing skills described by Paul (1995) and defined by the APA while work ing on the course assign ments.…”

“…The case study design encour ages students to work through prob lem sit u a tions, gen er ate hypoth eses, and test these hypoth e ses against rel e vant lit er a ture and per sonal expe ri ence within the con text of a car ing framework. It offers stu dents oppor tu ni ties to dis cuss real-life sit ua tions and nurs ing chal lenges in a safe envi ron ment and stim u lates stu dents to think crit i cally since cases offer no con crete answers (Jones & Sheridan, 1999;Malloy & DeNatale, 2001;Neill, Lachat, & Tay lor-Panek, 1997).…”

“…All stu dents dem on strated improve ment in their abil ity to react to reading assign ments in a crit i cal and reflec tive man ner. Neill et al (1997) incor po rated anal y sis of case study into the writ ten assign ments of a clin i cal deci sion-making nurs ing course to develop stu dents' clin i cal ana lyt i cal skills. Stu dents were ini tially asked to ana lyze an assigned case study and to answer ques tions about the nurs ing process in writ ing with ref er ence to that par tic u lar case.…”

Effects of using videotaped vignettes on enhancing students’ critical thinking ability in a baccalaureate nursing programme

“…Neill et al (1997) used case studies and group discussions to enhance nursing students' critical thinking. The application of such teaching strategies resulted in a positive learning experience for both students and faculty.…”

Active Learning Strategies...Not for the Birds!

“…A sampling of active learning strategies include the use of case studies (Baumberger-Henry, 2005;Neill, Lachat, & Taylor-Panek, 1997;Reising, 2004;Tomey, 2003), concept mapping (Akinsanya & Williams, 2004;Daily, Shaw, Balistrieri, Glasenapp & Piacentine, 1999;Luckowski, 2003;Schuster, 2000;Staib, 2003), journal reading (Ibarreta & McLeod, 2004;Patton et al, 1997;Sedlak, 1997;Wagner & Ash, 1998), and role play/simulation (Cote-Arsenault, 2004;Jeffries, 2005;Jenkins & Turick-Gibson, 1999;Phillips, 2005). A sampling of active learning strategies include the use of case studies (Baumberger-Henry, 2005;Neill, Lachat, & Taylor-Panek, 1997;Reising, 2004;Tomey, 2003), concept mapping (Akinsanya & Williams, 2004;Daily, Shaw, Balistrieri, Glasenapp & Piacentine, 1999;Luckowski, 2003;Schuster, 2000;Staib, 2003), journal reading (Ibarreta & McLeod, 2004;Patton et al, 1997;Sedlak, 1997;Wagner & Ash, 1998), and role play/simulation (Cote-Arsenault, 2004;Jeffries, 2005;Jenkins & Turick-Gibson, 1999;Phillips, 2005).…”