CRITICAL THINKING IN NURSING PRACTICE
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS (VERIFIED
AND WELL DETAILED ANSWERS) LATEST UPDATE
2024/2025
The nurse enters the room of a client who has a history of heart disease. On looking at
the client, the nurse feels that something is "not right" with the client and proceeds to
take the vital signs. This is the nurse acting on:
1. Intuition
2. Reflection
3. Knowledge
4. Scientific methodology - ✔✔1
Intuition is an inner sensing that something is so, as in this example. Reflection is the
process of purposefully thinking back or recalling a situation to discover its purpose or
meaning. Knowledge of the nurse includes information and theory from the basic
sciences, humanities, behavioral sciences, and nursing. Scientific methodology is an
approach to seeking the truth or verifying that a set of facts agrees with reality.
The nurse manager has developed a staff protocol for peer evaluation. The nurses on
her surgical unit are nervous about using her instrument. If the nurse manager
continues to implement the new strategy, which of the following critical thinking
attitudes is she portraying?
,1.Humility
2.Risk-taking
3.Accountability
4.Independent thinking - ✔✔2
This is an example of the critical thinking attitude of risk-taking. A critical thinker is
willing to take risks in trying different approaches to solving problems. Humility is a
critical thinking attitude in which a person admits what they do not know and tries to
acquire the knowledge needed to make proper decisions. To be accountable means to
be answerable for the outcomes of your actions. To think independently, one questions
others' ways of interpreting knowledge and looks for rational and logical answers to
problems.
The nurse is working with a client who has recently had a colostomy and is having
difficulty using the provided supplies. The nurse works with the client to see which
alternative supplies are easier for the client to use. This is an example of the critical
thinking strategy of:
1.Inference
2.Management
3.Problem-solving
4.Diagnostic reasoning - ✔✔3
, This is an example of the critical thinking strategy of problem-solving. The nurse gathers
information from the client and combines that information with what the nurse already
knows about ostomy care to find a solution. Effective problem-solving involves the
examination of alternatives. Inference is the process of drawing conclusions.
Management is not a critical thinking strategy. Diagnostic reasoning is a process of
determining a client's health status after the nurse assigns meaning to the behaviors,
physical signs, and symptoms presented by the client.
Which of the following is an example of a nurse's statement that reflects using the
scientific method in the nursing process?
1."I believe that this client is getting depressed."
2."The client doesn't look right to me; I think something is wrong."
3."The client's husband told me that she is feeling very uncomfortable."
4."The client reports more pain than yesterday and her blood pressure is elevated." -
✔✔4
Reporting more pain than yesterday and elevated blood pressure reflects using the
scientific method in the nursing process. The nurse identified a problem of pain,
hypothesized that it was greater than the day before, and collected data to evaluate its
reality. Believing the client is depressed or thinking something is wrong reflect intuition.
Speaking with the husband reflects information gathering, which may be used in
diagnostic reasoning.
The nurse decides to administer tablets of Tylenol instead of the intramuscular Demerol
she has previously been providing her orthopedic client. Which step of the nursing
process does this address?
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS (VERIFIED
AND WELL DETAILED ANSWERS) LATEST UPDATE
2024/2025
The nurse enters the room of a client who has a history of heart disease. On looking at
the client, the nurse feels that something is "not right" with the client and proceeds to
take the vital signs. This is the nurse acting on:
1. Intuition
2. Reflection
3. Knowledge
4. Scientific methodology - ✔✔1
Intuition is an inner sensing that something is so, as in this example. Reflection is the
process of purposefully thinking back or recalling a situation to discover its purpose or
meaning. Knowledge of the nurse includes information and theory from the basic
sciences, humanities, behavioral sciences, and nursing. Scientific methodology is an
approach to seeking the truth or verifying that a set of facts agrees with reality.
The nurse manager has developed a staff protocol for peer evaluation. The nurses on
her surgical unit are nervous about using her instrument. If the nurse manager
continues to implement the new strategy, which of the following critical thinking
attitudes is she portraying?
,1.Humility
2.Risk-taking
3.Accountability
4.Independent thinking - ✔✔2
This is an example of the critical thinking attitude of risk-taking. A critical thinker is
willing to take risks in trying different approaches to solving problems. Humility is a
critical thinking attitude in which a person admits what they do not know and tries to
acquire the knowledge needed to make proper decisions. To be accountable means to
be answerable for the outcomes of your actions. To think independently, one questions
others' ways of interpreting knowledge and looks for rational and logical answers to
problems.
The nurse is working with a client who has recently had a colostomy and is having
difficulty using the provided supplies. The nurse works with the client to see which
alternative supplies are easier for the client to use. This is an example of the critical
thinking strategy of:
1.Inference
2.Management
3.Problem-solving
4.Diagnostic reasoning - ✔✔3
, This is an example of the critical thinking strategy of problem-solving. The nurse gathers
information from the client and combines that information with what the nurse already
knows about ostomy care to find a solution. Effective problem-solving involves the
examination of alternatives. Inference is the process of drawing conclusions.
Management is not a critical thinking strategy. Diagnostic reasoning is a process of
determining a client's health status after the nurse assigns meaning to the behaviors,
physical signs, and symptoms presented by the client.
Which of the following is an example of a nurse's statement that reflects using the
scientific method in the nursing process?
1."I believe that this client is getting depressed."
2."The client doesn't look right to me; I think something is wrong."
3."The client's husband told me that she is feeling very uncomfortable."
4."The client reports more pain than yesterday and her blood pressure is elevated." -
✔✔4
Reporting more pain than yesterday and elevated blood pressure reflects using the
scientific method in the nursing process. The nurse identified a problem of pain,
hypothesized that it was greater than the day before, and collected data to evaluate its
reality. Believing the client is depressed or thinking something is wrong reflect intuition.
Speaking with the husband reflects information gathering, which may be used in
diagnostic reasoning.
The nurse decides to administer tablets of Tylenol instead of the intramuscular Demerol
she has previously been providing her orthopedic client. Which step of the nursing
process does this address?
