Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Nursing

Advisor

Deborah Lewis

Abstract

For the nursing profession, critical thinking is essential to provide safe and effectivepatient care. While the development of critical thinking skills is a desired outcome for newly graduated baccalaureate nurses, many lack the ability to make critical decisions. The absence of critical thinking among newly graduated nurses may be related to a lack of exposure to the clinical environment during their academic experience. This study explored how critical thinking processes can be affected by different approaches to baccalaureate clinical nursing education in Puerto Rico. A descriptive qualitative approach was used to understand the perceptions of newly graduated baccalaureate nurses regarding their critical thinking development when their academic clinical experiences were set in different clinical environments. Benner's novice-to-expert theory guided this study. To obtain data, individual, face-to-face interviews were conducted. Six newly graduated nurses were interviewed. Thematic analysis identified five major themes including: perception about critical thinking development, critical thinking development, learning strategy used in the classroom, experience in clinical practice and the relationship of novice nurses with experienced nurses. The key recommendation from the study is for the creation of a residency program in nursing thereby providing an opportunity for the newly graduated nurses to spend more time in clinical practice. This study can promote positive social change by improving the understanding of newly graduated nurses' perceptions of the development of critical thinking and by providing insights for nursing academics and leaders of healthcare organizations in the development of new graduate training and orientation programs.

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