Critical thinking dispositions among newly graduated nurses.
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.
Wangensteen
Sigrid
S
Department of Nursing, Karlstad University, Sweden. sigrid.wangensteen@hig.no
Johansson
Inger S
IS
Björkström
Monica E
ME
Nordström
Gun
G
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
J Adv Nurs. 2003 Nov;44(3):298-307
14641400
J Clin Nurs. 2008 Jul;17(14):1877-85
18578762
Br J Nurs. 2006 Apr 27-May 10;15(8):458-61
16723953
Nurse Educ Today. 2008 Jul;28(5):627-32
18054412
J Gerontol Nurs. 2004 Mar;30(3):26-33
15061451
J Nurs Educ. 1994 Oct;33(8):345-50
7799093
J Adv Nurs. 1998 Aug;28(2):323-31
9725729
J Nurs Educ. 1996 Jan;35(1):12-8
8926509
Nurse Educ Today. 2003 Nov;23(8):566-74
14554110
J Nurs Educ. 1997 Jan;36(1):5-10
8986955
J Contin Educ Nurs. 2000 Nov-Dec;31(6):251-6
11865857
Nurse Educ. 2001 May-Jun;26(3):125-7
12144324
J Adv Nurs. 2003 May;42(3):288-96
12680973
West J Nurs Res. 2003 Apr;25(3):322-37
12705114
J Adv Nurs. 2000 Jul;32(1):84-90
10886438
J Nurs Educ. 1999 Apr;38(4):149-55
10225262
J Nurs Educ. 1997 Jan;36(1):11-8
8986956
Nurse Educ Today. 2007 Jul;27(5):420-6
16945453
Nurse Educ. 1997 Sep-Oct;22(5):29-33
9348885
J Prof Nurs. 2005 Nov-Dec;21(6):364-71
16311232
J Nurs Educ. 1997 Jan;36(1):46-8
8986961
Nurse Educ. 2006 Jul-Aug;31(4):159-62
16855484
J Adv Nurs. 2003 Sep;43(6):569-77
12950562
Nurse Educ Pract. 2007 Jan;7(1):53-9
17689424
J Nurs Educ. 1999 Mar;38(3):100-10
10102507
J Adv Nurs. 2000 Feb;31(2):288-97
10672085
Holist Nurs Pract. 2001 Jul;15(4):65-74
12120497
Scand J Caring Sci. 1992;6(3):161-4
1439377
NLN Publ. 1989 Nov;(15-2278):iii-xix, 1-394
2587197
J Nurs Educ. 2003 Jan;42(1):14-27
12555818
Nurse Educ Today. 2004 May;24(4):286-92
15110438
J Adv Nurs. 2009 Jan;65(1):139-48
19032517