Journal of Nursing & Care

Factors in the Critical Thinking Disposition and Skills of Intensive Care Nurses

Abstract

Nurdan Gezer*, Belgin Yildirim and Esma Ozaydin

Aim: The aim of this study is to define and evaluate factors related to the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI) of intensive care unit nurses working at Adnan Menderes University. Methodology: The population of the study consisted of 60 nurses studying and at working at university hospitals. The sample size consisted of 40 nurses who volunteered to participate in the study. The data were collected from January to March 2012. The Socio-demographic Features Data Form and the CCTDI were used as data collection tools. This inventory was developed based on the results of the Delphi Report in which critical thinking and disposition toward critical thinking were conceptualized by a group of critical thinking experts. The original CCTDI includes 75 items loaded on seven constructs. These are inquisitiveness, open-mindedness, systematicity, analyticity, truth-seeking, critical thinking self-confidence, and maturity. The SPSS 15.0 package software was used in the evaluation of data, which employed numbers, percentage estimations, arithmetic means, the Kruskal-Wallis Test, the t test and Pearson’s correlation analysis. Results: When total score means are examined, it is seen that the mean score obtained by the nurses was 190,90 ± 20,23. The CCTDI score means of the nurses taken into the scope of the study reveal that the mean score on the “truth-seeking” subscale was 21,50 ± 5,62; the mean score on the “Open-mindedness” subscale was 36.95 ± 7.32; the mean score on the “systematicity” subscale was 19,32 ± 3,56; the mean score on the “Self-confidence” subscale was 27,75 ± 6,02; the mean score on the “Inquisitiveness” subscale was 34,47 ± 6,00. It was determined that there was no statistically significant difference between the CCDTI scale mean scores and the nurses’ ages, years of study, income levels, and education levels (p>0.05). Conclusion: This study found the nurses’ critical thinking dispositions to be at a low level. To ensure the development of a critical thinking disposition in nursing, educational opportunities must be provided inside and outside the institution.