Nursing education for critical thinking: an integrative review.

This integrative review summarizes 20 research studies reported from 1977 to 1995 that review change in the critical thinking abilities of professional nursing students. The Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Analysis was used in 18 of 20 studies. The primary assumption was that critical thinking skills would increase during nursing education. However, the results of this review are mixed and contradictory. Possible reasons for these results are discussed.