Definition and Examples of Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is the process of independently analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information as a guide to behavior and beliefs. The American Philosophical Association has defined critical thinking as the process of purposeful, self-regulatory judgment. The process gives reasoned consideration to evidence, contexts, conceptualizations, methods, and criteria (1990). Critical thinking is sometimes broadly defined as thinking about thinking. Critical thinking skills include the ability to interpret, verify, and reason, all of which involve applying the principles of logic. The process of using critical thinking to guide writing is called critical writing. Observations Critical Thinking is essential as a tool of inquiry. As such, Critical Thinking is a liberating force in education and a powerful resource in one’s personal and civic life. While not synonymous with good thinking, Critical Thinking is a pervasive and self-rectifying human phenomenon. The ideal critical thinker is habitually inquisitive, well-informed, trustful of reason, open-minded, flexible, fair-minded in evaluation, honest in facing personal biases, prudent in making judgments, willing to reconsider, clear about issues, orderly in complex matters, diligent in seeking relevant information, reasonable in the selection of criteria, focused in inquiry, and persistent in seeking results which are as precise as the subject and the circumstances of inquiry permit.(American Philosophical Association, Consensus Statement Regarding Critical Thinking, 1990)Thought and LanguageIn order to understand reasoning [...], it is necessary to pay careful attention to the relationship between thought and language. The relationship seems to be straightforward: thought is expressed in and through language. But this claim, while true, is an oversimplification. People often fail to say what they mean. Everyone has had the experience of having their \ misunderstood by others. And we all use words not merely to express our thoughts but also to shape them. Developing our critical thinking skills, therefore, requires an understanding of the ways in which words can (and often fail to) express our thoughts.(William Hughes and Jonathan Lavery, Critical Thinking: An Introduction to the Basic Skills, 4th ed. Broadview, 2004)Dispositions That Foster or Impede Critical thinkingDispositions that foster critical thinking include [a] facility in perceiving irony, ambiguity, and multiplicity of meanings or points of view; the development of open-mindedness, autonomous thought, and reciprocity (Piagets term for the ability to empathize with other individuals, social groups, nationalities, i deologies, etc.). Dispositions that act as impediments to critical thinking include defense mechanisms (such as absolutism or primary certitude, denial, projection), culturally conditioned assumptions, authoritarianism, egocentrism, and ethnocentrism, rationalization, compartmentalization, stereotyping and prejudice.(Donald Lazere, Invention, Critical Thinking, and the Analysis of Political Rhetoric. Perspectives on Rhetorical Invention, ed. by Janet M. Atwill and Janice M. Lauer. University of Tennessee Press, 2002)Critical Thinking and Composing- [T]he most intensive and demanding tool for eliciting sustained critical thought  is a well-designed writing assignment on a subject matter problem. The underlying premise is that writing is closely linked with thinking and that in presenting students with significant problems to write about—and in creating an environment that demands their best writing—we can promote their general cognitive and intellectual growth. When w e make students struggle with their writing, we are making them struggle with thought itself. Emphasizing writing and critical thinking, therefore, generally increases the academic rigor of a course. Often the struggle of writing, linked as it is to the struggle of thinking and to the growth of a persons intellectual powers, awakens students to the real nature of learning.(John C. Bean,  Engaging Ideas: The Professors Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical  Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom, 2nd ed. Wiley, 2011)- Finding a fresh approach to a writing assignment means that you must see the subject without the blinders of preconception. When people expect to see a thing in a certain way, it usually appears that way, whether or not that is its true image. Similarly, thinking based on prefabricated ideas produces writing that says nothing new, that offers nothing important to the reader. As a writer, you have a responsibility to go beyond the expected views and present your subject so that the reader sees it with fresh eyes. . . .[C]ritical thinking is a fairly systematic method of defining a problem and synthesizing knowledge about it, thereby creating the perspective you need to develop new ideas. . . .Classical rhetoricians used a series of three questions to help focus an argument. Today these questions can still help writers understand the topic about which they are writing. An sit? (Is the problem a fact?); Quid sit (What is the definition of the problem?); and Quale sit? (What kind of problem is it?). By asking these questions, writers see their subject from many new angles before they begin to narrow the focus to one particular aspect.(Kristin R. Woolever, About Writing: A Rhetoric for Advanced Writers. Wadsworth, 1991) Logical Fallacies Ad Hominem Ad Misericordiam Amphiboly Appeal to Authority Appeal to Force Appeal to Humor Appeal to Ignorance Appeal to the People Bandwagon Begging the Question Circular Argument Complex Question Contradictory Premises Dicto Simpliciter, Equivocation False Analogy False Dilemma Gamblers Fallacy Hasty Generalization Name-Calling Non Sequitur Paralepsis Poisoning the Well Post Hoc Red Herring Slippery Slope Stacking the Deck Straw Man Tu Quoque

Interpersonal Skills Definitions And Usage Examples For...

Interpersonal Skills: Definitions and Usage Examples for Business Settings submitted on Tuesday, 17 May 2016, 12:54 PM Listening Definition: â€Å"The ability to hear attentively and process information correctly.† (Lombardo n.d.) Use in Business: A good manager pays attention to dialogue with and between workers, peers, and seniors in the workplace. When conversing with one’s coworkers, superiors, and underlings, it is important to engage in active listening, which encourages the listener to give his/her undivided attention, empathise with the speaker, and even restate the information in the form of an accurate paraphrase to emphasise that proper attention was paid. (Carpenter M. et. al., 2009) Online Skill-Building Resource: Bacci, L. (n.d.). Why Assertiveness Matters in Business. Retrieved May 16, 2016, from http://www.communication-director.com/issues/power-persuasion/why-assertiveness-matters-business#.Vzh_R-QXfR8 Assertiveness Definition: â€Å"Standing up for what you believe it, defending your ideas with confidence, instructing others on what needs to be done.† (Lombardo n.d.) Use in Business: Assertiveness can be effective when proposing a new concept to peers and superiors in a business meeting, especially when said new concept is met with some resistance. Additionally, in a dispute, negotiation, or debate in the workplace (e.g. between peers, between worker and supervisor, etc.) defending one’s personal perspective on the matter (e.g. fending off an accusation,Show MoreRelatedCompany X Code Of Ethics1156 Words   |  5 PagesRules are established standards that will protect individuals’ medical records along with other personal health information. The HIPPA Rules require appropriate safeguards that protect the privacy of personal health information by setting limits and conditions on the usage of patient information that may be used without patient authorization. 2. Respect for Others Employees of Company X will respect the differences in people at all times. Respect and treat people fairly, regardless of their genderRead MoreConcept of Comfort3778 Words   |  16 Pagesinvolve understanding human responses and needs. The purpose of this paper is to study definitions and contextual usage of the word â€Å"comfort† from literatures, different professional areas and nursing focusing on how different disciplines exploit the word and answer the conceptual question, â€Å"what is comfort†. Literatures from theology, business, engineering, sociology, and nursing were reviewed for contextual usage of the word â€Å"comfort†. To understand better this concept, Kolcaba’s theory on comfortRead MoreElectronically Mediated Communication: The use of cell phones, computers, internet, etc and how it affected our relationships. Contains graphs and percentages.3616 Words   |  15 PagesElectronically Mediated Interpersonal Communication Our everyday communication involves talking to friends, lovers, family members, acquaintances, co-workers and people in service positions. We do this routinely, usually without much thought, unless some problem occurs or the relationship starts to take a turn for the worse. Then we become painfully aware of the poor communication we have had with another. Weve probably all had relationships that slipped away because we couldnt talk to each otherRead MoreIntroduction to Business Skills3344 Words   |  14 PagesIntroduction to Skills A successful manager possesses a lot of skills. The skills have opened a pathway for him to the way of success. Is it important for a manager to possess a certain skills? Is it important for a manager to learn those skills? The answer is yes. A manager needs those skills to ensure they can work with more effectively and efficiently. There are four main general skills that a manager needs to equip with. An effective manager must be proficient in these four main general skills. TheseRead MoreTest Bank For Services Marketing 7E 1956 Words   |  8 Pagesincludes services is ____________. a. NAFTA b. NAICS c. NACS d. NACSS e. NEICE (b; Moderate; p. 8) 3. Service markets are shaped by all of the following except ____________. a. government policies b. social changes c. global economic change d. business trends e. advances in information technology (c; Easy; p. 10) 4. A useful way to distinguish between goods and services is to place them on a continuum from ____________ to ____________. a. practical; impractical b. tangible-dominant; intangible-dominantRead MoreThe s Purpose Of An Organization2035 Words   |  9 Pagesmethodology of mechanization, virtualisation, joining and activation, they are changing the way of whole business. 2. SALES AND MARKETING Telstra aims to differentiate themselves from their rivals by knowing their clients and comprehending their needs better, so it has adopted a market based management (MBM) approach (appendix1) which puts the needs of an organisation s customers at the centre of all business action. 2.1 Target Audience Telstra target audience is as many people as possible if babies couldRead MoreGuidance and Counselling Thesis8290 Words   |  34 Pagesprimarily in the context of regularly scheduled courses of study in an educational setting. These activities were a part of regular school subjects or were organized around special topics in the form of units, mini courses, or modules. They were based on need statements and translated into goals and objectives and activities necessary for the development of all students. Typical topics focused on self-understanding, interpersonal relationships, decision making, and information about the education, work,Read MoreIssues Affecting Communication in the Workplace2296 Words   |  10 Pagesrole in ensuring the flow of communication through the organisation by using an effective system whereby feedback is received and acted upon (Daneci-Patrau 2011 496). Dwyer (2009 p. 9) states that leaders and managers with effective communication skills are able to wo rk directly with people thereby minimising direct controls and encouraging more understanding, commitment, motivation and productivity within the organisation. The occurrence of misunderstanding and inefficiency in an organisation canRead MoreSupervision: Performance Management4960 Words   |  20 Pagesor organisational, professional and personal activities. These objectives are competent, accountable performance, continuing professional development and personal support.† (Morrison 1993). Supervision addresses the need to develop knowledge and skills and the need to be concerned with quality and governance. It addresses the need to ensure that professional standards are maintained and that policies and procedures of the organisation are adhered to. It also embraces the need for support for staffRead MoreDecisions/Conflict Resolution3048 Words   |  13 PagesDecision-making is an important process which can control individuals life, make or break an organization, and can be used to develop leadership in todays business world. To explain why decision-making process is important; an individual needs to understand team decision-making, ethical and effective decision making, conflict sources and solutions. Team Decision-Making People work in teams because two or three heads is better than one. However, this is true if the team is working together

Nursing Clinical Skill Reflection

Question: Discuss about theNursingfor Clinical Skill Reflection. Answer: Introduction The clinical practices are the combination of professional knowledge, skills, culture, attitude, behaviour and personal perceptions. Any individual has to modify all these features to become a clinical professional. The personal reflection is a tool to analyse the development of these features in once perception while performing as a healthcare professional (Morris Faulk, 2012, pp.67). This essay is one such attempt by me as a learner where I am going to explain the importance and value of personal reflection in nursing followed by reflecting on one of my clinical skill (taking observations of the patient). This clinical skill is analysed by detecting my strengths and weaknesses in practice as a clinical nurse. As a Practice Nurse, I am reflecting on one of my clinical practice where I was allocated to take physical and psychological observations of one patient. Value and Importance of Personal Reflection in Nursing Personal reflection is described as essential human activity that recaptures the experience for which critical thinking is developed and mindful evaluation is performed for better learning and improvement (Dossey et al. 2012, pp. 98). As nursing profession is the collaborative functionality of personal and theoretical knowledge, the clinical reflection works as a tool for life-long learning, self-insight, awareness and development (Bulman, Lathlean Gobbi, 2012 pp. 12). According to Borders (2014 pp. 160), personal reflection helps to establish high care standards, patient centred care, professionalism and honesty towards perceptions. Further, reflection also helps to implement the best use of knowledge, eliminate past mistakes, confront and repair professional knowledge base. Horsfall, Cleary and Hunt (2012 pp. 931) opine that personal reflection is the foundation of meaningful nursing practice by gaining wisdom, connecting with truth and approaching excellence in healthcare. Sumner (2010 pp. 162) indicated that when dealing with the human body and mind the chances of repetitive error should be very less or negligible because the error once occurred can bring drastic outcomes. Therefore, personal reflection works as a tool to minimise the changes of such error by detecting and correcting them selflessly. Blum, Borglund and Parcells (2010 pp. 34) considered personal reflection as a spiritual act where nurse establishes a connection between inner self and outer world for humanness of their patient and establishing healthy relationships. Decker et al. (2013 pp. 28) studied that self-reflection based on critical thinking, reviewing, analysing and evaluating experiences to develop conclusion works as a positive future action for effective nursing practice. Las tly, Green, Wyllie and Jackson (2014 pp. 6) indicated that personal reflection helps to develop a critical, autonomous and advanced practitioner in nursing practice. Reflection on Clinical Skill (taking Observations) Performed as a Professional Nurse The clinical practices for taking observation varies as per their aim and process depending on factors like intensity, engagement, frequency, duration and watching from distance. The need of observation depends on potential risk, physical condition and therapeutic engagement (Morris and Faulk, 2012 pp. 86). As a practising nurse, my purpose of taking observation was to access the physical and psychological health of the patient with constant (arms length) level of observation. I adopted some of the most essential qualities to perform an effective observation that involves critical analysis of patient, environment, effective patient centred communication, systematic assessment and team functioning with a step-by-step approach. In the first step of my observation, I entered the patients room performing an environmental analysis to detect the availability of required equipments, room conditions and hygiene as well as hand hygiene requirements. Borders (2014 pp. 155) indicated that nurses should carefully perform patient observance, environment observance and essential requirements while entering the patient room. Further, Sumner (2010 pp. 167) also stated that hand hygiene is a major requirement before and after patient assessment, observation and care, therefore, it is essential equipment for care process. Therefore, as per my theoretical knowledge, I performed these initial steps of observations. Horsfall, Cleary and Hunt (2012 pp. 933) indicated that collecting background information about history, past experience, on-going health issues etc. helps in effective observation process, therefore, I collected all possible background information from other caregivers involves in the treatment process of this specific patient. Further, before initiating one-to-one observation, Blum, Borglund and Parcells (2010 pp. 31) indicated that it is required for a professional to inform the patient about this observation, its purpose and process. The observation changes and processes should also be communicated followed by regular feedback regarding the experience of the patient. I took this initiative by communicating complete information about observation to my patient. However, I missed the step of collecting patient feedback after each observation due to my panic for completing with observation process within the limited time duration. Even Williams and Stickley (2010 pp. 753) studied that nurses should invite patient for suggesting the ways for taking observations, for example, nurses can ask patient questions like How should we catch up? but I realised that my clinical observation process was very professional creating a discomfort to my patient. This process should occur at the beginning of observation, however, I realised that I missed patient consent before starting my observation process. This can be considered as a major error of my clinical skill. According to Sumner (2010 pp. 164) taking observation is not only a physical visualising but it is the combination of physical sighting followed by mental sighting with effective communication. The nurses should adopt the formal and informal communication strategies while taking the observation to get best possible information about the patient condition. While taking observations I adopted best possible strategies to perform effective communication by asking the patient about their pain, assessing patient consciousness, medication details, on-going treatments, eating and drinking habits, urinary and faecal elimination. Further, I documented all the information and detected problems as per clinical standards. After these initial observations, I performed a complete vital sign assessment involving temperature, respiration, pulse, blood pressure, blood glucose, oxygen levels, and body mass index. Borders (2014 pp. 156) indicated that vital sign assessment is a complete observation of physical, psychological and environmental stressors. Further, a Mental State Examination (MSE) was performed to determine the overall psychological observations. McDonald et al. (2012 pp. 380) studied that MSE covers complete assessment to the mental health condition that can detect symptoms and dynamics of any mental health disorder. Therefore, I consider it as a suitable tool for my patient observation process. According to Blum, Borglund and Parcells (2010 pp. 33) nursing responsibility involves maintaining standards, right skill mix, seeking advice and right resources while practising with the patient. I tried to accommodate all these responsibilities as a professional in my clinical skills process, but I detected that my observation process was lacking advice from other healthcare professionals. I didnt even involved expert advice while developing my observation protocol and report. This can be considered as a professional error highlighting lack of experience and professionalism in my nursing practice. My lack of experience, the limited time duration for observations and negligence were some of the defects that created issues and defects in my observation practice. However, I was perfect in taking observations, patient communication, creating awareness, my attitude, perception and performance but I lacked professionalism, experience, team functionality and ethical stability (not taking patient consent) in my clinical skill practice. DeBrew and Lewallen (2014 pp. 635) indicated that patient consent is a formal process that is considered to be mandatory for any clinical practice. If there is the requirement or not it is the duty of professional to attain informal or formal consent from patient as per Australian code of nursing ethics. Therefore, I need to work on some of these professional errors to establish a perfect clinical practice. Conclusion As per this study, it is clear that clinical self-reflection makes it very tranquil and easy to detect the error committed by oneself in clinical practice. It is an important tool to judge oneself by thinking, analysing and evaluating once experience and practice. My self-reflection on clinical skill of taking observation was perfect in terms of my practice, communication, personal perceptions and performance but it also highlighted lacking professional experience, ethical standards and team engagement in my practice. These errors are generally not detectable but they can create a risk situation for the patient if continued in nursing practice. Therefore, I strictly need to concentrate on these specific errors for improving my professional practice to address my professional goals in healthcare scenario. References Books Dossey, B.M., Certificate, C.D.I.N.C., Keegan, L. Co-Director International Nurse Coach Association, 2012.Holistic nursing. Jones Bartlett Publishers. Morris, A.H. Faulk, D.R., 2012.Transformative learning in nursing: A guide for nurse educators. Springer Publishing Company. Journals Blum, C.A., Borglund, S. Parcells, D., 2010. High-fidelity nursing simulation: Impact on student self-confidence and clinical competence.International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship,7(1), pp. 31-34. Borders, L.D., 2014. Best practices in clinical supervision: Another step in delineating effective supervision practice.American journal of psychotherapy, 68(2), pp.151-162. Bulman, C., Lathlean, J. Gobbi, M., 2012. The concept of reflection in nursing: qualitative findings on student and teacher perspectives.Nurse education today,32(5), pp.e8-e13. DeBrew, J.K. Lewallen, L.P., 2014. To pass or to fail? Understanding the factors considered by faculty in the clinical evaluation of nursing students.Nurse education today,34(4), pp.631-636. Decker, S., Fey, M., Sideras, S., Caballero, S., Boese, T., Franklin, A.E., Gloe, D., Lioce, L., Sando, C.R., Meakim, C. Borum, J.C., 2013. Standards of best practice: Simulation standard VI: The debriefing process.Clinical Simulation in Nursing,9(6), pp.S26-S29. Green, J., Wyllie, A. Jackson, D., 2014. Electronic portfolios in nursing education: a review of the literature.Nurse education in practice,14(1), pp.4-8. Horsfall, J., Cleary, M. Hunt, G.E., 2012. Developing a pedagogy for nursing teachinglearning.Nurse education today,32(8), pp.930-933. McDonald, G., Jackson, D., Wilkes, L. Vickers, M.H., 2012. A work-based educational intervention to support the development of personal resilience in nurses and midwives.Nurse education today,32(4), pp.378-384. Sumner, J., 2010. Reflection and moral maturity in a nurse's caring practice: a critical perspective.Nursing Philosophy,11(3), pp.159-169. Williams, J. Stickley, T., 2010. Empathy and nurse education.Nurse education today,30(8), pp.752-755.