The relationship between nursing students’ critical thinking disposition and their problem-solving thoughts

Şişko E., Bostan Akmeşe N., Topuz İ.

Nuh Naci Yazgan University Journal of Health Research, cilt.1, sa.1, ss.26-36, 2025 (Hakemli Dergi)

Özet

The purpose of study is to examine relationship between nursing students’ critical thinking dispositions and their thoughts about problem solving. The universe of descriptive and correlational type of research consisted of 520 students studying in the nursing department of a university. The study did not involve sample selection, 361 students (%69) who volunteered to participate in study, met inclusion criteria were included in study. Data were collected using socio-demographic characteristics form, Critical Thinking Disposition Scale, Problem Solving Thoughts Scale. Mann Whitney U test, Kruskal Wallis test, and Spearman correlation analysis were used in the analysis of the data. The mean score of students Critical Thinking Disposition is 193.50±30.29 and the mean score of Problem-Solving Thoughts is 99.13±12.76. A significant difference was found between the grades in which students studied and mean scores of Critical Thinking Disposition and its sub-dimensions (p=0.00). A significant difference was found between students’ income status, university-weighted general grade point averages, article reading status, and Critical Thinking Disposition and Systematicity, Flexibility subdimensions mean scores (p<0.05). A significant difference was found between students’ gender and mean scores of Execution and Evaluation sub-dimensions of Problem-Solving Thoughts Scale (p=0.00, p=0.02). A significant difference was found between students grades and mean scores of Problem-Solving Thoughts and Planning and Execution subdimensions (p=0.00). A strong positive relationship (r: 0.66; p= 0.00) was found between students’ Critical Thinking Disposition and their Thoughts on Problem-Solving. It was found that the students participating in the study had above-average scores on both the Critical Thinking Disposition Scale and the Scale of Opinions on Problem Solving, and that there was a strong correlation between their critical thinking dispositions and their opinions on problem-solving.