Critical Thinking in Nursing

[Name of the institute]Critical Thinking in Nursing

Introduction

Education is a thing that occupies immense importance in our lives. Education can be regarded as the nub. The quality of education that we get shapes our thinking style and then facilitates us in decision making in various stages of life. In order to make effective, rationale and sound decisions it is important that students should be taught critical thinking. Critical thinking not only enables an individual to make effective and sound decisions but it also helps in the professional life. To perform various tasks and duties related to the profession critical thinking is a skill that is required most. Similarly, in the profession of nursing, critical thinking is also required and is indispensible. The aim and objective of this paper is also to talk about the critical thinking in the profession of nursing. The following part of the paper discusses critical thinking in nursing from variegated perspectives.

Critical Thinking

Everyone thinks it is a part of our nature. But much of our thinking, by itself is arbitrary, distorted, biased, uninformed or prejudiced. Our quality of life and the life that we make or build depends precisely on the quality of our thinking. The thought of poor quality costs both in money and in quality of life. Excellence in thought, however, must be exercised consistently (Marton, 2010).

School teachers and university professors tend to instill in their students the ability to think critically. We know that critical thinking is something certainly good, a skill that will enable us to cope with requirements of the twenty first century. Critical thinking is an intellectual attitude that seeks to analyze and evaluate the structure and consistency of reasoning, in particular the views or statements in everyday life are generally accepted as true. It can also be defined from a practical standpoint, as a process by which you use the knowledge and intelligence to get, effectively, to more reasonable and justifiable position on an issue, and which seeks to identify and overcome the many barriers or obstacles that introduce prejudices or biases. It is supposed to undergo rigorous standards for excellence and conscious mastery of its use. It involves effective communication and problem-solving skills (Albanese & Mitchell, 2003).

History of Critical Thinking Development

The root of the critical thinking can be found in ancient world. The roots and history of critical thinking can be traced back to 2,500 years back in the teachings and vision of the Socrates. Socrates explored a method of probing questioning that people could not rationally justify their confident claims to knowledge. After Socrates the path of critical thinking was followed by Aristotle, Plato and the Greek skeptics. They were all of the opinion that things are not as simple as they appear and they often involve hidden patterns and only trend minds can discover these patterns and underlying and hidden realities. In the Middle Ages too, the path of critical thinking can be observed. In the teachings and writings of Thomas Aquinas critical thinking ...