Critical Thinking in Nursing Practice Potter et al.: Fundamentals of Nursing, 9th Edition

1. Which action should the nurse take when using critical thinking to make clinicaldecisions? a. Make decisions based on intuition. b. Accept one established way to provide care. c. Consider what is important in a given situation. d. Read and follow the heath care provider’s orders. ANS: C A critical thinker considers what is important in each clinical situation, imagines and explores alternatives, considers ethical principles, and makes informed decisions about the care of patients. Patient care can be provided in many ways. The use of evidence-based knowledge, or knowledge based on research or clinical expertise, makes you an informed critical thinker. Following health care provider’s orders is not considered a critical thinking skill. If your knowledge causes you to question a health care provider’s order, do so. DIF:Understand (comprehension)REF:196 | 205 OBJ: Discuss a nurse’s responsibility in making clinical decisions. TOP:ImplementationMSC:Management of Care 2. Which patient scenario of a surgical patient in pain is most indicative of criticalthinking? a. Administering pain-relief medication according to what was given last shift b. Offering pain-relief medication based on the health care provider’s orders