Differences in critical thinking skills between nursing students on a fast-track versus traditional 4-year programme.

Abstract

The authors were unable to find studies comparing the critical thinking skills of nursing students on advanced standing programmes (ASP) and on traditional 4-year BN programmes in Canada. The ASP is a condensed Bachelor of Nursing (BN) programme, designed for students who already have a university degree or similar qualification. To measure and compare the critical thinking skills of ASP students and traditional 4-year BN students. A cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire used to collect data from 100 nursing students at a university in Canada. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. All research ethics were taken into consideration. All participants scored highly in their critical thinking skills. However, ASP students scored significantly higher than their counterparts on the 4-year programme (M=21.6 vs M=18.9, F=4.75, P=0.035). Higher critical thinking skills among ASP nursing students is a promising sign to expand and support this type of programme as a fast and effective method to cover the shortage in nurses.