Critical Thinking in Nurse Anesthesia Education: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Critical thinking is pivotal for student success in health professions education. Knowing the critical thinking abilityof the learner helps educators tailor curriculum to enhance critical thinking. A quantitative comparative pilot studyassessed critical thinking ability for students at two distinct points in a nurse anesthesia program curriculum. Criticalthinking was examined using the Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT) for students at the beginning and end ofthe first year of didactic instruction. This pilot study serves as a foundation for additional critical thinking studies.These study results may serve to help nurse anesthesia educators improve the learning process. Nurse anesthesiaeducators are in an important position to improve teaching and learning through classroom activities that fostercritical thinking.