When people say nursing school is a different way of thinking...

I think they mean that we are not just learning something and then regurgitating it. You learn bits and pieces and have to use critical thinking to put those pieces together. You have to take all of the knowledge that you have and be able to apply it to any number of possible scenarios. My husband has been an ER/Trauma/Critical Care RN for 10 years and he always says nursing is "a huge grey area." Our job is to recognize the important parts from the big picture. It seems to come easy for some, and not so easy for others.

You have to utilize critical thinking skills in that you know the information, now what are you going to DO with it? Analysis and application are the main higher level thinking skills you will need in order to effectively answer questions and practice safely. As mentioned, nursing is not black and white. There are many variables that influence a patient's response to certain treatments and it is important for us to identify what can go wrong before something goes wrong and how to respond in a timely manner.