Nursing Care Plans Versus Concept Maps in the Enhancement of Critical Thinking Skills in Nursing Students Enrolled in a Baccalaureate Nursing Program

Headnote

Appropriate and effective critical thinking and problem solving is necessary for all nurses in order to make complex decisions that improve patient outcomes, safety, and quality of nursing care. With the current emphasis on quality improvement, critical thinking ability is a noteworthy concern within the nursing profession. An in-depth review of literature related to critical thinking was performed. The use of nursing care plans and concept mapping to improve critical thinking skills was among the recommendations identified. This study compares the use of nursing care plans and concept mapping as a teaching strategy for the enhancement of critical thinking skills in baccalaureate level nursing students. The California Critical Thinking Skills Test was used as a method of comparison and evaluation. Results indicate that concept mapping enhances critical thinking skills in baccalaureate nursing students.

The current health care environment has changed significantly over the past decade. Contributing factors include the increasing level of acuity and advances in equipment, medications, and treatments. Therefore, it is essential that nurses are able to critically analyze significant amounts of information in the clinical setting in order to determine the appropriate course of action based on patient data. The need for expert clinical judgment is an essential skill for every nurse.

The purpose of this study was to compare the difference in impact between care plans and concept maps on critical thinking skills of baccalaureate nursing students as determined by the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST; Facione & Facione, 1996). The research question for this study was, "Is there a significantly greater improvement in the critical thinking skills of baccalaureate students using concept maps than for students using nursing care plans?"

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

The literature identifies several strategies to improve critical thinking in students as well as in newly graduated nurses (Castellino & Schuster, 2002; Clayton, 2006; Daley, Shaw, Balistrieri, Glasenapp, & Piacentine, 1999; Ferrario, 2004; Hoffman, 2006; Khosravani, Manoochehri, & Memarian, 2005; King & Shell, 2002; Paul & Heaslip, 1995; Shin, Lee, Ha, & Kim, 2006; Spelic et al., 2001). Among those Tina Sinatra-Wilhelm, recommendations was the use of concept mapping in addition to nursing care planning to improve critical thinking skills.

Concept Mapping

The process of concept mapping is described by Kostovich, Poradzisz, Wood, and O'Brien...