Please Help*Advice for understanding how to "critically think"

llg, PhD, RN · Oct 25, 2011

I recommend hiring a tutor familiar with your school's program and classes. Does your school have a tutoring service?

AgentBeast, BSN, RN · Oct 25, 2011

Sometimes you really have to read the questions several times to truly figure out exactly what it is asking. Oftentimes the answer is right in the question.

MirandaSN · Oct 25, 2011

No, unfortunately my school does not have any kind of tutoring service.

Sanuk · Oct 25, 2011

Is there an instructor that you would feel comfortable approaching and asking for help? Heck, even if you're not comfortable, I would ask an instructor for some feedback. You're going to fail out of the program if you don't without ever knowing what you could have done to improve. Just ask them if they could give you some ideas on better ways to study or approach the material. You've got nothing to lose. I hope they will help you - it seems a little crazy not to let students know where they went wrong so that they can correct it.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Oct 26, 2011

"also, we cannot go over what we missed on our tests. i'm not sure if that is a policy for all or most nursing programs but i feel that it is really hindering my understanding of where i am going wrong."

this is an error on your faculty's part. i always did an exam review after the test to clear up questions like this. i wouldn't change grades or discard questions (unless the students could demonstrate to me why they were genuinely poor questions-- i can be reasonable ) but there's a lot of learning that can occur in situations like this, on both parts.

approach an instructor you like and trust and ask if this could be set up. it's a lot of extra work for your faculty, so be sure to let them know how much you'd appreciate it. offer to help, organize snacks, or take notes to distribute to others, for example.

xtxrn, ASN, RN · Oct 26, 2011

I've never heard of a program that won't allow questions re: missed test questions. Is there some way to present the question about being able to ask questions in a manner that demonstrates what you understand of critical thinking?

Also, the emphasis on critical thinking is a bit premature IMO.... you have to know what options you have as a nurse in order to be ABLE to critically think- as well as the knowledge from

fundies (what we called it).

Are they already poking this down your throat? If they are NOT- then take the questions at face value.... it's a fine line between critical thinking and reading too much into things.

But, maybe if others would also contribute to wanting to ask about missed questions, it might help???

Good luck. Our instructors had office hours, and had time set aside for the sole purpose of asking questions - plus going over the tests.

MirandaSN · Oct 27, 2011

Thanks for the responses! I have approached an instructor but she told me it was over her head and that she also disagreed about it but there was nothing she could do. It was a decision made by the Dean of Nursing. The only thing we can do is set up a meeting with an instructor and she can look at our scantron and tell us "well, you missed #14 and it was an oxygenation question". But that isn't really helping me.

AgentBeast, BSN, RN · Oct 27, 2011

That seems to be the most idiotic policy ever conceived. How are you supposed to correct what you are doing wrong when you don't know and can't find out what you are doing wrong in the first place?

xtxrn, ASN, RN · Oct 28, 2011

that seems to be the most idiotic policy ever conceived. how are you supposed to correct what you are doing wrong when you don't know and can't find out what you are doing wrong in the first place?

what scotte said...... :up: