- Choose a population that you believe should use critical thinking.
- Develop a tool, for this specific population, that you can use to assess or measure the cognitive habits or behaviors that are part of the critical thinking process that this population uses.
For example – a novice nurse entering the nursing profession, an experienced nurse working on a new unit, parents of a child with a chronic illness, a patient who has a new diagnosis of diabete or heart disease and must learn to self-manage the disease.
- Use Box 2-5 and appendix A to choose which cognitive habits and behaviors you decide to measure.
The tool should include:
- A total of eight questions, each addressing a specific cognitive habit or behavior.
- A rationale for each question – why that question can measure that specific cognitive habit or behavior.
Introduce your tool with a discussion of the importance of cognitive habits or behaviors that encourage critical thinking. Provide a conclusion to pull the entire assignment together.
Here is an examples of one question you can ask when assessing the critical thinking skills of minority parents of overweight children.
Question: How do you feel about your child’s overall health? Your family’s health?
Rationale: This question is assessing the critical thinking skill or habit of the mind: contextual perspective
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
Critical thinking is an essential skill that individuals must possess, especially in the field of medicine. It involves analyzing and evaluating information in a rational and systematic manner to make informed decisions and solve problems. In this assignment, we will choose a specific population and develop a tool to assess the cognitive habits or behaviors that are part of the critical thinking process that this population uses.
Population and Tool:
We believe that patients who have a new diagnosis of diabetes or heart disease and must learn to self-manage the disease should use critical thinking. To assess this population’s cognitive habits or behaviors that encourage critical thinking, we have developed a tool that includes eight questions, with each addressing a specific cognitive habit or behavior.
1. What motivated you to learn more about your disease?
Rationale: This question is assessing the critical thinking skill or habit of the mind: motivation. Motivation is essential to engage in critical thinking, and this question will measure how motivated the individual is to learn more about their disease.
2. How do you handle conflicting information about your disease from different sources?
Rationale: This question is assessing the critical thinking skill or habit of the mind: open-mindedness. Open-mindedness is crucial to consider different perspectives and ideas, and this question will help measure the individual’s ability to handle conflicting information.
3. How do you define the problem you are facing with your disease?
Rationale: This question is assessing the critical thinking skill or habit of the mind: problem recognition. Problem recognition is a crucial component of critical thinking, and this question will help measure the individual’s ability to define the problem they are facing with their disease.
4. How do you gather information about your disease?
Rationale: This question is assessing the critical thinking skill or habit of the mind: information seeking. Information seeking is essential to obtain relevant data and facts, and this question will measure the individual’s ability to gather information about their disease.
5. How do you evaluate the information you gather about your disease?
Rationale: This question is assessing the critical thinking skill or habit of the mind: information analysis. Information analysis is crucial to evaluate the relevance and accuracy of the information, and this question will help measure the individual’s ability to evaluate the information they gather.
6. Can you identify any biases or assumptions that may affect your decision-making?
Rationale: This question is assessing the critical thinking skill or habit of the mind: self-awareness. Self-awareness is essential to identify any personal biases or assumptions that may affect decision-making, and this question will help measure the individual’s ability to recognize any biases or assumptions.
7. How do you prioritize different treatment options or recommendations?
Rationale: This question is assessing the critical thinking skill or habit of the mind: decision-making. Decision-making is crucial to select the best treatment option based on the available evidence, and this question will help measure the individual’s ability to prioritize different treatment options or recommendations.
8. How do you reflect on the outcomes of your decisions?
Rationale: This question is assessing the critical thinking skill or habit of the mind: reflection. Reflection is essential to review the results of decisions made and learn from experience, and this question will help measure the individual’s ability to reflect on the outcomes of their decisions.
Importance of Cognitive Habits or Behaviors That Encourage Critical Thinking:
In conclusion, critical thinking is a vital skill that individuals must develop, especially patients who have a new diagnosis of diabetes or heart disease. Developing effective cognitive habits or behaviors that encourage critical thinking can lead to better self-management of their disease. Our tool will help assess the individual’s cognitive habits or behaviors that encourage critical thinking and aid in identifying areas for improvement to make better decisions and solve problems related to their disease.