Critical thinking of nursing students in clinical teaching: an integrative review

Abstract

Theoretical Framework: Future nurses need to be pre-pared to develop critical thinking skills due to the diversity and complexity in clinical practice. Objectives: To explore the current state of scientific knowledge on nursing students’ critical thinking, namely in clinical teaching settings. Methodolog y: An integrative literature review was conduct-ed in 3 online databases, according to the recommendations of the Joanna Briggs Institute for scoping reviews. Results: Of a total of 277 articles published between January 2010 and November 2015, 28 were included in this review. Critical thinking is a complex process involving intellectual ability, ability to combine experience, knowledge, and rea-soning, and an attitudinal component. Some educational strategies effectively promote the development of these skills in nursing students. Conclusion: Enabling environments should be created to stimulate students’ reflection, creativity, and confidence, as well as to develop and implement innovative strategies that promote critical thinking skills.