Factors influencing critical thinking skills among nursing students: Reports from a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Studying the relationship between critical thinking and academic achievement is of great importance because both are crucial in producing nurses that would deliver quality care and nurses who would be critical thinkers in the midst of constant evolution in the health care delivery system. This study aims to determine the relationship between critical thinking skills and academic achievement among undergraduate nursing students. Further, it aims to determine factors that may influence the critical thinking of students. This study used a descriptive correlational design. It was conducted at the Nursing Department, College of Health Sciences Prince Sultan Military College, Saudi Arabia. There were 67 female participants from two types of nursing pathways. The data collection was conducted between March and May 2021. The overall averages of HSRT scores of the Baccalaureate and Bridging were 2.35 and 2.25, respectively. The HSRT scores indicated that the critical thinking skills of participants from both nursing pathways were low. There was no significant relationship between critical thinking skills and academic performance (r=.11; p<.05). Critical thinking skills were not manifested among the student nurses. Further, there was no found significant relationship between age, nursing pathway, and year level. Moreover, there is no significant relationship found between academic performance and the components of HSRT. These results are useful for understanding group characteristics, comparing and contrasting similar groups on specific attributes or skills, and for guiding the development of more targeted educational or training programs.