Critical thinking among clinical nurses and related factors: A survey study in public hospitals

Analysis of influencing factors on cognition of organizational innovation climate among clinical nurses in China

Establishing a positive organizational innovation climate can enhance nurses' innovative performance and work quality. This study aims to explore the cognitive status and influencing factors of the organizational innovation climate among clinical nurses. The findings of this study will provide a scientific basis for developing innovative nursing talent teams and strengthening innovative management. This is a cross-sectional study. From July 2024 to September 2024, we conducted a paper questionnaire survey of 210 clinical nurses in 3 tertiary hospitals in China. Participants self-reported on general demographic questionnaires and organizational innovation climate scales. The collected data were analyzed using various statistical methods, including descriptive analysis, independent sample t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests, and multiple linear regression analysis. Multicollinearity was tested using the variance inflation factor and tolerance test. All analyses were performed using the SPSS software (version 26.0). P < .05 indicated that the difference was statistically significant. In this study, the score for organizational innovation climate among 210 clinical nurses was (73.70 ± 9.25). Organizational innovation incentive was the dimension having the highest score. Resource supply was the dimension having the lowest score. Multiple regression analysis showed that gender, highest education level, years of work experience, position, job satisfaction, and academic conference participation experience were the main factors influencing clinical nurses' cognition of the organizational innovation climate (P < .05). In this study, the cognitive level of nurses' organizational innovation climate was moderate level. To improve this level, nursing managers should develop targeted intervention measures for various influencing factors. It is recommended that nursing managers strategically integrate scientific research innovation training into their vocational training programs to stimulate nurses' innovation consciousness and improve the quality of clinical nursing services.

Factors associated with the critical thinking ability among nursing students: An exploratory study in Iran

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Critical thinking is a crucial skill in nursing that nursing students should apply in their work environment. It involves analyzing, evaluating, and interpreting information. It is used in various topics such as disease diagnosis, treatment planning and implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of results, problem-solving, and decision-making in emergencies. This study in Iran aimed to evaluate factors associated with nursing students' critical thinking ability.

STUDY METHOD

Following the STROBE guidelines, an analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in Ardabil province, northwest Iran. The study collected data through convenience sampling at nursing schools in Ardabil province, with a sample of 246 nursing students participating. The data collected from a demographic information form and the Persian version of the Nursing Critical Thinking in Clinical Practice Questionnaire were analyzed using SPSS version 22.0 software.

RESULTS

The study found that the overall mean score of clinical critical thinking among nursing students was 313.87 ± 25.80 (range = 109-436). Based on this score, most students reported low (63%) or moderate (37%) clinical critical thinking levels. The highest and lowest mean scores between dimensions were related to the intellectual and cognitive (127.99 ± 13.30) and technical (17.25 ± 3.43), respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that semester and college were predictors of clinical critical thinking among nursing students. The selected predictors accounted for 19.3% of the total variance in clinical critical thinking scores (F = 9.396, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The study results showed that nursing students could have performed better in critical thinking ability. The study suggests that nursing education programs should prioritize teaching critical thinking skills in clinical settings as it is an essential subject in nursing education. With significant changes in nursing clinical environments, enhancing clinical critical thinking can improve nursing student performance clinically. Therefore, one of the crucial learning objectives in a clinical nursing course is to develop clinical critical thinking skills for nursing students.

The relationship between critical thinking and job performance among nurses: A descriptive survey study

AIM

This study investigated the relationship between nurses' critical thinking skills and job performance and whether critical thinking and its subdomains predict job performance.

BACKGROUND

It is expected that nurses may use critical thinking skills to provide evidence-based quality patient care in health care settings. However, there is limited evidence about whether critical thinking is related to job performance among nurses.

DESIGN

This was a descriptive, cross-sectional survey study.

METHODS

The study included 368 nurses working in the inpatient wards of a university hospital in Turkey. The survey included a demographic information questionnaire, the Critical Thinking Scale in Clinical Practice for Nurses and the Nurses' Job Performance Scale. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics, comparisons, reliability and normality tests, correlation and regression analysis.

RESULTS

Participating nurses got average scores from the critical thinking and job performance scale and sub-scales, and there was a positive, mid-level and statistically significant correlation between the scale scores. According to the multiple linear regression analysis results, personal critical thinking, interpersonal and self-management critical thinking and the total critical thinking scores positively affected the job performance scores of nurses.

CONCLUSION

As critical thinking predicts nurses' job performance, managers of hospitals and nursing services should consider training programs or activities to increase nurses' essential thinking competencies, thus improving clinical nurses' performances.

Nursing management of the critical thinking and care quality of ICU nurses: A cross-sectional study

AIM

To explore the effectiveness of a digital learning management system in enhancing intensive care unit nurses' critical care knowledge and critical thinking tendency.

BACKGROUND

Learning intensive care unit knowledge and skills is essential for the continuing education of nurses, and impacts patient health outcomes. Enhancing intensive care unit nurses' critical care abilities is a medical care quality concern in clinical practice.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 212 participants to investigate the effects of a digital learning system on care quality.

RESULTS

After the implementation of the digital learning system, intensive care unit nurses' critical care knowledge and critical thinking skills increased significantly. High-level nurses had higher critical thinking scores. All participants associated critical care knowledge with improved quality of care.

CONCLUSION

The digital learning management system enhanced intensive care unit nurses' critical care knowledge. Optimizing nursing care safety and quality requires that nursing staff to be at an adequate level, which improves their critical care ability.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

A well-designed digital learning management system with structured classes may allow intensive care unit nurses to learn effectively and can be used for continuing education. These results are of interest to nursing management staff who want to invest in the continued professional development of intensive care unit nurses to improve critical care knowledge, critical thinking skills, care quality, and health care value.