Developing Critical Thinking Skills in Nursing Practice, Research Paper Example

On her website devoted to nursing theories, Dr. Patricia Brenner argues that nurses develop their skills about patient care over time, based both on education and on practical experience (Brenner, 2014). It is possible, according to Dr. Brenner to know how to perform the duties and functions of a nurse without having to develop an understanding of nursing theory, and she argues that practical experience is a fundamental part of being a competent, effective nurse. Further, Dr. Brenner maps out five stages of development, from novice to expert (Brenner, 2014). I do not necessarily consider myself an expert, but I do agree that practical experience is an important part of my development as a nurse.

I have been working in the field of nursing for three years, and am currently a medical surgical nurse. Like any beginner, I stared off as a nurse armed only with the information I had learned in school. This information is different from knowledge, and the knowledge I now have about nursing is based on a combination of the theoretical background and training I received in school and the things I have learned in actual practice. Critical thinking skills are not something that can easily be taught, as the situations one faces in the real world are often unpredictable. It is helpful to have learned the information presented in the classroom setting, but until that information can be applied to real-life circumstances it is only a component of a larger body of knowledge.

I have developed my critical thinking skills more in the practice of nursing than I did while studying in school. I have learned from my own mistakes, and also from observing and communicating with my peers and others in the surgical and clinical settings. What I have found is that the advice and practical information I have received from my peers, supervisors, and other practitioners has helped me to better evaluate my own performance, and to understand how to apply theory to my duties and functions as a nurse.

Reference

Brenner, P. 2014. From Novice to Expert. [online] Available at: http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/Patricia_Benner_From_Novice_to_Expert.html [Accessed: 13 Feb 2014].