Abstract
Critical thinking (CT) capabilities are crucial for the contemporary nurse and vital for the delivery of safe patient care. As health care and technology continue to evolve, so must the teaching methods used by educators to develop the CT abilities of nursing students. Teaching methods must be interactive, student-focused, and address the various learning needs of diverse student populations. The review of the literature found that the active teaching strategies of problem-based learning (PBL) and case studies are effective in promoting CT development in nursing students. The evidence-based teaching project proposes the use of PBL case studies as the primary teaching method to improve the CT abilities of entry-level Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students enrolled in the psychiatric/mental health nursing course. Lippit's Phases of Change Theory will guide the action, implementation and evaluation phases of this project. Student CT development is evaluated by exam scores from the Health Education System Incorporated (HESI) Psychiatric/Mental Health Specialty Exam and surveys completed by participants following each case study. HESI exam results with the PBL case study approach are compared to HESI exam results from previous semesters that utilized a lecture-based learning (LBL) approach and participant surveys are analyzed throughout the course.
Sigma Membership
Non-member
Type
Other Graduate Paper
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
N/A
Research Approach
N/A
Keywords:
Critical Thinking, Problem-Based Learning, Nursing Students
Advisor
Rhonda Tower-Siddens
Degree
Master's
Degree Grantor
Sacred Heart University
Degree Year
2016
Recommended Citation
Cureton, Christopher, "Teaching critical thinking with problem-based learning" (2016). DNP and Student Works. 97.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/dnps/97
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
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Review Type
Faculty Approved: Degree-based Submission
Acquisition
Self-submission
Date of Issue
2016-11-30
Full Text of Presentation
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