Critical Thinking Skills of RNs: Exploring Demographic Determinants

Abstract

Previous studies of nurses' critical thinking skills that included demographic characteristics as determinants have been inconclusive. This study explored demographic determinants of critical thinking skills among nurses from public hospitals in Peninsular Malaysia. This cross-sectional study included 549 nurses recruited via multistage cluster sampling. Nurses completed the demographic questionnaire and Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT). The majority of respondents failed to demonstrate critical thinking skills with a mean overall HSRT score of 13.8 (SD = 3.4). Educational qualifications (p = .003) and clinical specialties (p = .022) were significantly related to nurses' critical thinking skills. Years of clinical experience, age, and job ranking were not significant CONCLUSION: The findings indicate a need to address the present curriculum in nursing education and to reinforce critical thinking skills in the nursing workforce. Future research on how nurses in Malaysia acquire critical thinking skills is needed. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2020;51(3):109-117.].