How To Critically Think

ItsThatJenGirl, CNA · Apr 10, 2018

Nursing school questions are application based. So you'll have a patient scenario and you need to figure out a few things - what the question is asking (look for words like first, or assess, or intervention), then how to answer that question.

So an example would be: The nurse is preparing an enteral feeding for a patient. What's the first thing the nurse needs to do?

a. Make sure the formula is room temp

b. Check feeding tube placement

c. Elevate the head of the bed

d. Verify the patient, dosage and time with the orders

All of these answers are correct, but the question is asking what the nurse should do first. It's so easy to read the question, and just select the first answer because it's right. It's hard to slow down.

The questions get a lot more in depth as you go on, too. You'll be given a set of circumstances and have to make a judgement based on what you think it probably is. Like lung crackles, edema - what else would you check for/monitor in that patient? What are they at risk for? And what would your intervention be? Stuff like that. You have to apply the knowledge you're taught.

You'll do okay - there are lots of resources out there to help you succeed!

imhorsemackerel, LPN · Apr 11, 2018

You'll have plenty of time to learn how to think critically. I'm in an LPN-RN program right now, and many of us are re-learning how to think critically. It often comes with practice with questions when you learn the rationale behind the answers. If you insist on starting early, brush up on your anatomy and physiology, and start reading up or watch youtube videos on fundamentals.

AmandaPanda101 · Aug 25, 2018

Thank you both of you! You have really helped and eased my anxiety a little bit about nursing school!! :)

TheDudeWithTheBigDog, ADN, RN · Aug 27, 2018

Choosing the most correct answer is actually a somewhat easy concept that you use literally all the time. Every professional license and certification exam uses this type of question. There's typically a detail that makes only 1 right choice for that specific situation. To give some perspective on an easier subject: the question would be something like you're having problems with your light not turning on. When you flip the switch, the fan turns on, but not the light, and you even tried pulling the cord, what do you do? Do you make sure the fuse is still on? Do you make sure you're hitting the right switch? Do you try using a different bulb? Or do you bring an electrician in to fix the wiring? Since the fan is turning on, and the cord isn't turning on the light, you obviously have a dead bulb.

That's it. That's all the choosing the most correct answer questions is.

Just do any practice questions you can, and just build a habit of reading all the information and seeing how each detail applies to the question being asked.

Mandi Mae · Aug 29, 2018

If you'd like to get a head start on practicing critical thinking, I'd highly recommend the NCLEX-RN Mastery app, and maybe just do the fundamentals questions. I love that all of the practice questions give you rationales after you've answered. I feel like in addition to being exposed to nursing information, it also helps you understand other critical thinking concepts through the questions, like prioritization, delegation, the nursing process, etc. I bought it when I was still doing my general ed. classes. I think it was $19.99, but it was totally worth every penny! I'm in my last term of nursing school now, and I still use it to practice NCLEX-style questions when I have a few minutes to kill throughout the day. :-)