Bottomley Jane - Critical Thinking Skills for Your Nursing Degree

First published in 2018 by Critical Publishing Ltd

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

The authors have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of information contained in this publication, but assume no responsibility for any errors, inaccuracies, inconsistencies and omissions. Likewise every effort has been made to contact copyright holders. If any copyright material has been reproduced unwittingly and without permission the Publisher will gladly receive information enabling them to rectify any error or omission in subsequent editions.

Copyright (2018) Jane Bottomley and Steven Pryjmachuk

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-912096-69-5

This book is also available in the following e-book formats:

MOBI: 978-1-912096-68-8

EPUB: 978-1-912096-67-1

Adobe e-book reader: 978-1-912096-66-4

The rights of Jane Bottomley and Steven Pryjmachuk to be identified as the Authors of this work have been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988.

Text and cover design by Out of House Limited

Project Management by Out of House Publishing Solutions

Printed and bound in Great Britain by Bell & Bain, Glasgow

Critical Publishing

3 Connaught Road

St Albans

AL3 5RX

www.criticalpublishing.com

Introduction

Critical Thinking Skills is the third book in the Critical Study Skills for Nurses series. This series supports student nurses, midwives and health professionals as they embark on their undergraduate degree programme. It is aimed at all student nurses, including those who have come to university straight from A levels, and those who have travelled a different route, perhaps returning to education after working and/or raising a family. The books will be of use both to students from the UK and to international students who are preparing to study in a new culture and perhaps in a second language. The books also include guidance for students with specific learning requirements.

Critical Thinking Skills aims to remove some of the mystique which often surrounds critical thinking students sometimes hear that they are not critical enough but may struggle to understand just what this means in practical terms. This book guides you towards an understanding of critical thinking and its role in academic and professional life, with plain-English explanations and practical examples provided throughout. It discusses the importance of questioning what you see and hear, and equips you with a range of analytical and evaluative tools. It places reflective practice at the heart of critical thinking and provides language tools which can help you express your reflections more precisely. It provides strategies to help you read and write critically, using the research and writing process to discover and develop your own voice, an essential part of being a critical scholar.

Between them, the authors have many years experience of both nursing practice and education, and academic study skills. All the information, text extracts and activities in the book have a clear nursing focus and are often directly linked to the Nursing and Midwifery Councils Code. There is also reference to relevant institutional bodies, books and journals throughout.

The many activities in the book include tasks, reflections, top tips, and case studies. There are also advanced skills sections, which highlight particular knowledge and skills that you will need towards the end of your degree programme or perhaps if you go on to postgraduate study. The activities in the book often require you to work things out and discover things for yourself, a learning technique which is commonly used in universities. For many activities, there is no right or wrong answer they might simply require you to reflect on your experience or situations you are likely to encounter at university; for tasks which require a particular response, there is an answer key at the back of the book.

These special features throughout the book are clearly signalled by icons to help you recognise them:

Learning outcomes;