title: Critical thinking dispositions among newly graduated nurses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to describe critical thinking dispositions among newly graduated nurses in Norway, and to study whether background data had any impact on critical thinking dispositions.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Competence in critical thinking is one of the expectations of nursing education. Critical thinkers are described as well-informed, inquisitive, open-minded and orderly in complex matters. Critical thinking competence has thus been designated as an outcome for judging the quality of nursing education programmes and for the development of clinical judgement. The ability to think critically is also described as reducing the research-practice gap and fostering evidence-based nursing.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed. The data were collected between October 2006 and April 2007 using the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory. The response rate was 33% (n = 618). Pearson's chi-square tests were used to analyse the data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nearly 80% of the respondents reported a positive disposition towards critical thinking. The highest mean score was on the Inquisitiveness subscale and the lowest on the Truth-seeking subscale. A statistically significant higher proportion of nurses with high critical thinking scores were found among those older than 30 years, those with university education prior to nursing education, and those working in community health care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nurse leaders and nurse teachers should encourage and nurture critical thinking among newly graduated nurses and nursing students. The low Truth-seeking scores found may be a result of traditional teaching strategies in nursing education and might indicate a need for more student-active learning models.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Karlstad University, Sweden. sigrid.wangensteen@hig.no
authors.forename: Sigrid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wangensteen
authors.forename: Inger S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.forename: Monica E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Björkström
authors.forename: Gun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nordström
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004506:Education, Nursing; D004522:Educational Status; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology*; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D011340:Problem Solving; D011637:Public Health Nursing; D012718:Set, Psychology; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013850:Thinking
references.citation: J Adv Nurs. 2003 Nov;44(3):298-307
references.pmid: 14641400
references.citation: J Clin Nurs. 2008 Jul;17(14):1877-85
references.pmid: 18578762
references.citation: Br J Nurs. 2006 Apr 27-May 10;15(8):458-61
references.pmid: 16723953
references.citation: Nurse Educ Today. 2008 Jul;28(5):627-32
references.pmid: 18054412
references.citation: J Gerontol Nurs. 2004 Mar;30(3):26-33
references.pmid: 15061451
references.citation: J Nurs Educ. 1994 Oct;33(8):345-50
references.pmid: 7799093
references.citation: J Adv Nurs. 1998 Aug;28(2):323-31
references.pmid: 9725729
references.citation: J Nurs Educ. 1996 Jan;35(1):12-8
references.pmid: 8926509
references.citation: Nurse Educ Today. 2003 Nov;23(8):566-74
references.pmid: 14554110
references.citation: J Nurs Educ. 1997 Jan;36(1):5-10
references.pmid: 8986955
references.citation: J Contin Educ Nurs. 2000 Nov-Dec;31(6):251-6
references.pmid: 11865857
references.citation: Nurse Educ. 2001 May-Jun;26(3):125-7
references.pmid: 12144324
references.citation: J Adv Nurs. 2003 May;42(3):288-96
references.pmid: 12680973
references.citation: West J Nurs Res. 2003 Apr;25(3):322-37
references.pmid: 12705114
references.citation: J Adv Nurs. 2000 Jul;32(1):84-90
references.pmid: 10886438
references.citation: J Nurs Educ. 1999 Apr;38(4):149-55
references.pmid: 10225262
references.citation: J Nurs Educ. 1997 Jan;36(1):11-8
references.pmid: 8986956
references.citation: Nurse Educ Today. 2007 Jul;27(5):420-6
references.pmid: 16945453
references.citation: Nurse Educ. 1997 Sep-Oct;22(5):29-33
references.pmid: 9348885
references.citation: J Prof Nurs. 2005 Nov-Dec;21(6):364-71
references.pmid: 16311232
references.citation: J Nurs Educ. 1997 Jan;36(1):46-8
references.pmid: 8986961
references.citation: Nurse Educ. 2006 Jul-Aug;31(4):159-62
references.pmid: 16855484
references.citation: J Adv Nurs. 2003 Sep;43(6):569-77
references.pmid: 12950562
references.citation: Nurse Educ Pract. 2007 Jan;7(1):53-9
references.pmid: 17689424
references.citation: J Nurs Educ. 1999 Mar;38(3):100-10
references.pmid: 10102507
references.citation: J Adv Nurs. 2000 Feb;31(2):288-97
references.pmid: 10672085
references.citation: Holist Nurs Pract. 2001 Jul;15(4):65-74
references.pmid: 12120497
references.citation: Scand J Caring Sci. 1992;6(3):161-4
references.pmid: 1439377
references.citation: NLN Publ. 1989 Nov;(15-2278):iii-xix, 1-394
references.pmid: 2587197
references.citation: J Nurs Educ. 2003 Jan;42(1):14-27
references.pmid: 12555818
references.citation: Nurse Educ Today. 2004 May;24(4):286-92
references.pmid: 15110438
references.citation: J Adv Nurs. 2009 Jan;65(1):139-48
references.pmid: 19032517