The Influence of a Baccalaureate Program on Traditional, RN-BSN, and Accelerated Studentsʼ Critical Thinking Abilities
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TL;DR
A significant difference was revealed between the pre- and post-WGCTA scores of traditional students and RN-BSN students, but not of accelerated students, indicating the best combination of liberal arts and nursing courses for the development of critical thinking abilities is needed.
Abstract
Although there are multiple ways of achieving baccalaureate-level nursing education, all graduates must demonstrate critical thinking abilities to practice competently. The purpose of this study was to measure the changes in critical thinking abilities of students pursuing various pathways in the same baccalaureate nursing curriculum. Traditional, registered nurse-bachelor of science (RN-BSN), and accelerated students completed the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA) at the beginning and end of their nursing course sequence. Findings revealed a significant difference between the pre- and post-WGCTA scores of traditional students (t = -2.84, P = .007) and RN-BSN students (t = -2.28, P = .029), but not of accelerated students. Similarities between the curricular pathways that could account for the results were analyzed. Further research is needed to determine the best combination of liberal arts and nursing courses for the development of critical thinking abilities.