Deck 12: Critical Thinking in Nursing Practice

Question 1

Which of these findings,if identified in a plan of care,should the registered nurse revise because it is not characteristic of critical thinking and the nursing process?

A)Patient's reactions to diagnostic testing.
B)Nurse's assumptions about hospital discharge.
C)Identification of five different nursing diagnoses.
D)Documentation of patient's ability to cope with loss.

Answer 1

Nurse's assumptions about hospital discharge.

Question 2

Which of the following demonstrates a nurse utilizing self-reflection to improve clinical decision making?

A)Using an objective approach in all situations.
B)Obtaining data in an orderly manner.
C)Improving a plan of care while thinking back on interventions performed.
D)Providing evidence-informed explanations for all nursing interventions.

Answer 2

Improving a plan of care while thinking back on interventions performed.

Question 3

Which of the following demonstrates appropriate clinical decision making for groups of patients? (Select all that apply. )

A)Identifying the nursing diagnosis of each patient.
B)Prioritizing care based on urgency and complexity of problems.
C)Delaying family-centred care until you have more time.
D)Combining activities to resolve more than one patient problem at a time.
E)Delegating basic cares to unregulated care providers.

Answer 3

Identifying the nursing diagnosis of each patient.
Prioritizing care based on urgency and complexity of problems.
Combining activities to resolve more than one patient problem at a time.
Delegating basic cares to unregulated care providers.

Question 4

Which of the following is a strategy used by learners to explore complex problems and engage in decision making without the risk of harming a patient?

A)Lectures and reading.
B)Concept mapping.
C)Reflective writing.
D)Case-based learning.

Question 5

A nurse who is caring for a patient with a pressure ulcer fails to apply the recommended dressing according to hospital policy.If the patient is harmed,the nurse could be subject to legal action for not adhering to which of the following?

A)Fairness.
B)Intellectual standards.
C)Independent reasoning.
D)Institutional practice guidelines.

Question 6

The patient appears to be in no apparent distress,but vital signs measured by an unregulated care provider reveal that the pulse is extremely low.The nurse then auscultates an apical pulse and asks the patient whether he has any complaints or a history of heart problems.The nurse is utilizing which critical thinking skill?

A)Interpretation.
B)Evaluation.
C)Self-regulation.
D)Explanation.

Question 7

Which of these patient scenarios is most indicative of critical thinking?

A)Administering pain relief medication according to what was given last shift.
B)Asking a patient what pain relief methods,pharmacological and nonpharmacological,have worked in the past.
C)Offering pain relief medication based on prescriber orders.
D)Explaining to the patient that his reports of severe pain are not consistent with the minor procedure that was performed.

Question 8

Professional nurses are responsible for making clinical decisions in order to do what?

A)Prove traditional methods of providing nursing care to patients.
B)Take immediate action when a patient's condition worsens.
C)Apply clear textbook solutions to patients' problems.
D)Formulate standardized care plans for groups of patients.

Question 9

The nursing student can best develop critical thinking skills by doing which of the following?

A)Studying 3 hours more each night.
B)Actively participating in all clinical experiences.
C)Interviewing staff nurses about their nursing experiences.
D)Attending all open skills laboratory opportunities.

Question 10

The nurse needs a reminder of professional responsibility when performing which of these actions?

A)Making an informed clinical decision.
B)Making an ethical clinical decision.
C)Making a clinical decision in the patient's best interest.
D)Making a clinical decision based on previous shift assessments.

Question 11

What is the first component of the critical thinking model for clinical decision making?

A)Experience.
B)Nursing process.
C)Attitude.
D)A scientific knowledge base.

Question 12

While caring for a hospitalized older woman after hip surgery,the new graduate nurse is faced with the task of inserting an indwelling urinary catheter,which involves rotating the hip into a contraindicated position.The nurse exhibits critical thinking to perform this task by doing what?

A)Following textbook procedure.
B)Notifying the physician of the need for a urologist consult.
C)Adapting the positioning technique to the situation.
D)Postponing catheter insertion until the next shift.

Question 13

A patient continues to report postsurgical incision pain at a level of 9 out of 10 after pain medicine is given.The next dose of pain medicine is not due for another hour.What should the critically thinking nurse do first?

A)Explain to the patient that nothing else has been ordered.
B)Explore other options for pain relief.
C)Offer to notify the health care provider after morning rounds are completed.
D)Discuss the surgical procedure and reason for the pain.

Question 14

A nursing instructor needs to evaluate students' abilities to synthesize data and identify relationships between nursing diagnoses.Which learning assignment is best suited for this instructor's needs?

A)Concept mapping.
B)Reflective journalling.
C)Reading assignment with a written summary.
D)Lecture and discussion.

Question 15

How do professional standards influence a nurse's clinical decisions?

A)They bypass the patient's feelings to promote ethical standards.
B)They set minimal passing standards for testing.
C)They require the nurse to use critical thinking for the highest level of quality nursing care.
D)They require the nurse to utilize evidence-informed practice that is based on nurses' needs.

Question 16

Critical thinking characteristics include which of the following?

A)Considering what is important in a given situation.
B)Accepting one,established way to provide patient care.
C)Making decisions based on intuition.
D)Being able to read and follow prescriber orders.

Question 17

The critical thinking skill of evaluation in nursing practice can be best described as which of the following?

A)Examining the meaning of data.
B)Reviewing the effectiveness of nursing actions.
C)Supporting findings and conclusions.
D)Searching for links between data and the nurse's assumptions.

Question 18

A new graduate nurse will make the best clinical decisions by applying the components of the nursing critical thinking model and which of the following?

A)Drawing on past clinical experiences to formulate standardized care plans.
B)Relying on recall of information from past lectures and textbooks.
C)Depending on the charge nurse to determine priorities of care.
D)Using the nursing process.

Question 19

The nurse enters a room to find the patient sitting up in bed crying.How would the nurse display a critical thinking attitude in this situation?

A)Tell the patient she'll be back in 30 minutes.
B)Set a box of tissues at the patient's bedside before leaving the room.
C)Ask the patient why she is crying.
D)Limit visitors while the patient is upset.

Question 20

The nursing process involves which of the following steps in the clinical decision-making process? (Select all that apply. )

A)Identifying patient needs.
B)Diagnosing the disease process.
C)Determining priorities of care.
D)Setting goals.
E)Performing nursing interventions.
F)Evaluating effectiveness of medical treatments.