Agnė Jakavonytė-Akstinienė

Nurturing Critical Thinking in Nursing: How to nurture and develop critical thinking in nursing students

Nurturing Critical Thinking in Nursing:  
How to nurture and develop critical thinking in nursing students 
Agnė Jakavonytė-Akstinienė 
Vilnius University, Faculty of Medicine,  
Institute of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing,  
Lithuania 
 

Critical thinking is a way of seeing one's thoughts and decision-making processes. A critical thinker cannot be easily manipulated because they think for themselves and make their own decisions. By considering all available information, choosing relevant data, critically evaluating it, and examining argu-ments for and against it, they form their own independent opinions. 
Critical thinking is crucial for nurses, who encounter various situations on a daily basis and have to find appropriate solutions. To assess the situation and make informed decisions, nurses need to take into account several aspects: the patient's clinical assessment, the patient's safety, communication and cooperation with the patient and other team members, and the availability of problem-solving skills.  
This presentation highlights the development of students' truth-seeking, open-mindedness, analyticity, self-confidence, curiosity, and reflective practice. 
 
Keywords: critical thinking; nursing; students; open-mindedness; reflective practice
 
Biography 
Agnė Jakavonytė-Akstinienė is an assistant at Vilnius University, Department of Nursing, Institute of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine. With 15 years of experience in educating students, she is dedicated to fostering critical thinking by providing practical examples, engaging in in-depth ana-lyses, and creating interactive learning scenarios. Her research interests encompass a broad range of topics, including gerontology, geriatric nursing, mental health, the nursing care of individuals with mental and behavioral disorders, leadership in nursing, cross-cultural nursing, and the health and professional well-being of nurses. More information: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9758-9090.