The theory of critical thinking of nursing.

Critical thinking is a thought process used by nurses for clinical decision-making. This descriptive correlational study focused on the relationships among critical thinking, decision-making, and clinical nursing expertise during a clinical simulation. A midrange theory, developed from Benner (1) and Paul (2), states that as novice nurses become experts and develop clinical expertise through experience and the acquisition of knowledge, critical thinking is developed and used for clinical decision-making. > A convenience sample of 149 nursing students, graduate nurses, and expert nurses was selected for the study. Critical thinking was measured with the Elements of Thought Instrument (ETI) and a decision score was calculated. Critical thinking and decision-making increased with the level of clinical expertise. Related demographics included college credits taken, years in nursing practice, and grade point average. The findings were consistent with the midrange Theory of Critical Thinking of Nurses.