CRITICAL THINKING IN NURSING PRACTICE
QUESTION AND ANSWERS LATEST VERSION
VERIFIED RATIONALE GRADED A+
Which of these patient scenarios is most indicative of critical thinking?
whether he has any complaints or a history of heart problems. The nurse is utilizing which critical
thinking skill?
Using the nursing process along with applying components of the nursing critical thinking model will
help the new graduate nurse make the most appropriate clinical decisions. Care plans should be
individualized, and recalling facts does not utilize critical thinking skills tomake clinical decisions. The new
nurse should not rely on the charge nurse to determine priorities of care
Upholding professional standards requires nurses to use critical thinking for the highest level of quality
nursing care. Bypassing the patient's feelings is not practicing according to professional standards. The
primary purpose of professional standards is not to establish minimal passing standards for testing.
Patient care should be based on patient needs, not on nurses' needs.
The professional nurse is responsible for assessing patients each shift. Making informed, ethical
decisions in the patient's best interest is practicing responsibly.
The nurse uses creativity in this situation to figure out how the patient can stabilize himself while getting
a drink of water. Humility is recognizing when more information is needed to make a decision.
Confidence is being well prepared to perform nursing care safely. This question best illustrates the
attitude of creativity. Risk taking is demonstrating the courage to speak out or to question orders based
on the nurse's own knowledge base
The nurse should try to find out why the patient is crying to intervene appropriately. Telling the patient
that she will return, providing tissues, and limiting visitors may be appropriate actions but do not
address the reason why the patient is crying.
The nurse should not assume when a patient is going to be discharged and document this information in
a plan of care. Making assumptions is not an example of a critical thinking skill. The patient's reactions to
testing, having several nursing diagnoses, and a description of the patient's coping abilities are all
appropriate to document in the nursing plan of care
The nurse must use critical thinking skills in this situation to adapt positioning technique. In practice,
patient procedures are not always presented as in a textbook, but they are individualized. A urologist
consult is not warranted for position, but perhaps instead for difficulty in insertion. Postponing insertion
of the catheter is not an appropriate action
The critically thinking nurse should explore all options for pain relief first. The nurse should use critical
thinking to determine the cause of the pain and determine various options for pain, not just ordered
pain medications. The nurse can act independently to determine all options for pain relief and does not
have to wait until after the health care provider rounds are completed. Explaining the cause of the pain
does not address options for pain relief
, CRITICAL THINKING IN NURSING PRACTICE
QUESTION AND ANSWERS LATEST VERSION
VERIFIED RATIONALE GRADED A+
Self-reflection utilizes critical thinking when thinking back on the effectiveness of interventions and how
they were performed. The other options are not the best examples of self-reflection but do represent
good nursing practice. Using an objective approach and obtaining data in an orderly fashion does not
involve purposefully thinking back to discover the meaning or purpose of a situation. Providing evidence-
based explanations for nursing interventions does not always involve thinking back to discover the
meaning of a situation
Reviewing the effectiveness of interventions best describes evaluation. Examining the meaning of data is
inference. Supporting findings and conclusions provides explanations. Searching for links between the
data and the nurse's assumptions describes analysis
Professional nurses are responsible for making clinical decisions to take immediate action when a
patient's condition worsens. Patient care should be based on evidence-based practice, not on tradition.
Clear textbooks solutions to patient problems are not always available. Care plans should be
individualized
Nursing is an applied science, and to apply knowledge learned and develop critical thinking skills to make
clinical decisions, the student should actively participate in all clinical experiences. Studying for longer
hours, interviewing nurses, and attending skills labs do not provide opportunities for clinical decision
making, as do actual clinical experiences
Interpretation involves being orderly in data collection, looking for patterns to categorize data, and
clarifying uncertain data. This nurse is clarifying the data in this situation. Evaluation involves
determining the effectiveness of interventions. The nurse in this scenario is assessing the patient, not
evaluating interventions. Self-regulation is reflecting on experiences. Explanation is supporting findings
and conclusions. The nurse in this question is clarifying uncertain data (determining cause of the low
pulse), not supporting the finding of a low pulse
Institutional practice guidelines are established standards and policies that can be used in court to make
judgments about nursing actions. Intellectual standards are guidelines or principles for rational thought.
Fairness and independent reasoning are two examples of critical thinking attitudes that are designed to
help nurses make clinical decisions
Humility and responsibility are displayed when the nurse realizes lack of knowledge and requests an
orientation to the unit. The other answer choices represent inappropriate actions in this situation and
are not examples of humility and responsibility. The nurse should explore all options before refusing an
assignment. The nurse should not make assumptions. Assuming is not an example of critical thinking.
Admitting lack of knowledge is an example of humility, but going home does not illustrate an example of
responsibility.
f. Evaluating effectiveness of medical treatments - ansANS: A, C, D, E
QUESTION AND ANSWERS LATEST VERSION
VERIFIED RATIONALE GRADED A+
Which of these patient scenarios is most indicative of critical thinking?
whether he has any complaints or a history of heart problems. The nurse is utilizing which critical
thinking skill?
Using the nursing process along with applying components of the nursing critical thinking model will
help the new graduate nurse make the most appropriate clinical decisions. Care plans should be
individualized, and recalling facts does not utilize critical thinking skills tomake clinical decisions. The new
nurse should not rely on the charge nurse to determine priorities of care
Upholding professional standards requires nurses to use critical thinking for the highest level of quality
nursing care. Bypassing the patient's feelings is not practicing according to professional standards. The
primary purpose of professional standards is not to establish minimal passing standards for testing.
Patient care should be based on patient needs, not on nurses' needs.
The professional nurse is responsible for assessing patients each shift. Making informed, ethical
decisions in the patient's best interest is practicing responsibly.
The nurse uses creativity in this situation to figure out how the patient can stabilize himself while getting
a drink of water. Humility is recognizing when more information is needed to make a decision.
Confidence is being well prepared to perform nursing care safely. This question best illustrates the
attitude of creativity. Risk taking is demonstrating the courage to speak out or to question orders based
on the nurse's own knowledge base
The nurse should try to find out why the patient is crying to intervene appropriately. Telling the patient
that she will return, providing tissues, and limiting visitors may be appropriate actions but do not
address the reason why the patient is crying.
The nurse should not assume when a patient is going to be discharged and document this information in
a plan of care. Making assumptions is not an example of a critical thinking skill. The patient's reactions to
testing, having several nursing diagnoses, and a description of the patient's coping abilities are all
appropriate to document in the nursing plan of care
The nurse must use critical thinking skills in this situation to adapt positioning technique. In practice,
patient procedures are not always presented as in a textbook, but they are individualized. A urologist
consult is not warranted for position, but perhaps instead for difficulty in insertion. Postponing insertion
of the catheter is not an appropriate action
The critically thinking nurse should explore all options for pain relief first. The nurse should use critical
thinking to determine the cause of the pain and determine various options for pain, not just ordered
pain medications. The nurse can act independently to determine all options for pain relief and does not
have to wait until after the health care provider rounds are completed. Explaining the cause of the pain
does not address options for pain relief
, CRITICAL THINKING IN NURSING PRACTICE
QUESTION AND ANSWERS LATEST VERSION
VERIFIED RATIONALE GRADED A+
Self-reflection utilizes critical thinking when thinking back on the effectiveness of interventions and how
they were performed. The other options are not the best examples of self-reflection but do represent
good nursing practice. Using an objective approach and obtaining data in an orderly fashion does not
involve purposefully thinking back to discover the meaning or purpose of a situation. Providing evidence-
based explanations for nursing interventions does not always involve thinking back to discover the
meaning of a situation
Reviewing the effectiveness of interventions best describes evaluation. Examining the meaning of data is
inference. Supporting findings and conclusions provides explanations. Searching for links between the
data and the nurse's assumptions describes analysis
Professional nurses are responsible for making clinical decisions to take immediate action when a
patient's condition worsens. Patient care should be based on evidence-based practice, not on tradition.
Clear textbooks solutions to patient problems are not always available. Care plans should be
individualized
Nursing is an applied science, and to apply knowledge learned and develop critical thinking skills to make
clinical decisions, the student should actively participate in all clinical experiences. Studying for longer
hours, interviewing nurses, and attending skills labs do not provide opportunities for clinical decision
making, as do actual clinical experiences
Interpretation involves being orderly in data collection, looking for patterns to categorize data, and
clarifying uncertain data. This nurse is clarifying the data in this situation. Evaluation involves
determining the effectiveness of interventions. The nurse in this scenario is assessing the patient, not
evaluating interventions. Self-regulation is reflecting on experiences. Explanation is supporting findings
and conclusions. The nurse in this question is clarifying uncertain data (determining cause of the low
pulse), not supporting the finding of a low pulse
Institutional practice guidelines are established standards and policies that can be used in court to make
judgments about nursing actions. Intellectual standards are guidelines or principles for rational thought.
Fairness and independent reasoning are two examples of critical thinking attitudes that are designed to
help nurses make clinical decisions
Humility and responsibility are displayed when the nurse realizes lack of knowledge and requests an
orientation to the unit. The other answer choices represent inappropriate actions in this situation and
are not examples of humility and responsibility. The nurse should explore all options before refusing an
assignment. The nurse should not make assumptions. Assuming is not an example of critical thinking.
Admitting lack of knowledge is an example of humility, but going home does not illustrate an example of
responsibility.
f. Evaluating effectiveness of medical treatments - ansANS: A, C, D, E
