A new way to define critical thinking
Coady approaches critical thinking differently than most . “ A lot of people understand critical thinking as a skill that can be taught ,” says Coady . “ I define it as a process in which a person blends his or her theoretical knowledge with their experiential knowledge and applies that combined information to assess , plan , and ultimately act in any given situation .”
Whereas a skill is something that can be taught and checked off , the process of learning how to think critically is a progression that grows over time . Coady explains that the more theoretical knowledge you gain and the more experiential knowledge you get by practicing day after day , the more your ability to think critically is going to continue to improve .
The importance of critical thinking in healthcare
Imminent nursing shortages
The forecast for the nursing shortage remains grim — hospitals are not only anticipating the shortage , they are already feeling effects from it . The industry is replacing their retiring nurses with inexperienced new nurses , and retention rates are low , with 48 % of new nurses leaving within the second year . Ten to fifteen percent of hos-
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