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Online Companion: Fundamentals of Nursing Standards and Practice 2E
In this chapter, you are introduced to the ideas and processes that nurses use to "think nursing" in client care situations. The nature of critical thinking is described and identified as an essential nursing competency. Critical thinking has three components: mental operations, knowledge and attitudes. The activities of mental operations help the nurse to find or create meaning when creative and appropriate solutions to problems are needed. A knowledge base of declarative knowledge and operative knowledge from a broad base of science, psychology and philosophy disciplines is an essential component when thinking nursing. There are certain attitudes of mind such a s curiosity, respect for others, self-confidence that enhance a person's ability to think critically. The chapter offers ideas on how to develop and increase critical thinking skills. The chapter also introduces the nursing
process as the framework for providing professional nursing care. Five steps
in the nursing process are identified: assessment, nursing diagnosis, outcome
identification and planning, implementation and evaluation; the acronym ADPIE
is used to recall these steps and their order. Each of these steps is defined
and described in detail. Examples of each step from clinical situations are
provided. The chapter suggests critical thinking questions that are used during
each step of nursing process.
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