The Use of the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal to Predict Success in a Baccalaureate Nursing Program

111

This study evaluates the difference in development of critical thinking across four groups of nurses at different stages of the academic process and their perception of their decision-making ability in practice. With the move of nurse education into institutes of higher education nationally, there are no empirical data in the UK to suggest that graduates practice any differently from their non-graduate colleagues. An opportunistic sample of 82 nurses, was chosen from recent admission on a pre-registration degree programme, to mature graduates, as well as a group of experienced, non-graduate practitioners. A quasi-experimental, between-subjects design was used. A series of one-way ANOVAs was used to analyse the difference in critical thinking across all four groups, employing the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal. Additionally, the Jenkins Clinical Decision-Making in Nursing Scale was used to determine the differences in decision-making ability in practice across three of the groups with clinical experience. Furthermore, a correlation was undertaken to determine what relationship, if any, existed between critical thinking and decision-making in practice. It was found that there was no significant difference in the critical thinking skills across all groups studied, supporting the findings of other studies in the USA, which examined the cognitive skills of students undertaking graduate programmes. However, in their practice, it was found that those exposed to the academic process were significantly better at decision-making than their non-academic colleagues. Finally, no relationship could be found between the development of critical thinking and decision-making in practice, suggesting that more work needs to be done to look carefully at both critical thinking skills and decision-making in practice and the tools used to measure these.

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 69%

Graduate nurses: critical thinkers or better decision makers?

Girot

2000

111

“…Results such as these are not unique and are congruent with previous North American studies, relating to critical thinking as an outcome of nursing education and using the WGCTA as an instrument (Matthews & Gaul 1979, Valiga 1983, Bauwens & Gerhard 1987, Fleeger 1987, Sullivan 1987, Kintgen‐Andrews 1988). Each found that programmes of nursing education had no significant effect on critical thinking ability as measured by the WGCTA.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

The development of an alternative method in the assessment of critical thinking as an outcome of nursing education

Daly

2001

“…Ketefian (1981) reported a significant relationship between nurse’s critical thinking ability and their level of moral reasoning. Bauwens & Gerhard (1987) and Gross et al (1987 ) reported significant relationships between scores on the Watson–Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal and scores of baccalaureate students on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) scores. On the other hand there have been at least four studies that reported no significant relationships between critical thinking skills and clinical judgement ( Tanner 1977, Gordon 1980, Gunning 1981, Holzemer & Mclaughlin 1988).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Critical thinking ability and clinical decision‐making skills among senior nursing students in associate and baccalaureate programmes in Korea

Shin

1998

This study compared Korean senior nursing students enrolled in associate degree programs (n = 119) and baccalaureate programs (n = 115) on measures of critical thinking ability and clinical decision-making skills. Samples were drawn from three associate degree programmes and four baccalaureate programmes accredited by the Korean Ministry of Education. 'Critical thinking ability' was determined by the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal and 'clinical decision-making' in nursing was measured by the Nursing Performance Stimulation Instrument. Independent sample t-tests comparing the associate degree group (mean score 41.98) and baccalaureate group (mean score 47.22) on the critical thinking measure yielded significant mean differences favouring the baccalaureate group. The baccalaureate group (mean score 26.53) also scored significantly higher than the associate degree group (mean score 23.49) on clinical decision-making. Within the total sample (n = 234) the relationship between critical thinking and clinical decision-making was weak but significant (r = 0.19, P = < 0.003).