Abstract
Critical thinking is the rational process of vigorously conceptualising, applying, analysing, synthesising and evaluating information collected from experience, reflection and reasoning. Critical thinking requires effective facilitation to ensure student nurses are sufficiently equipped for clinical practice. Lack of critical thinking in clinical practice presents challenges for the nursing profession in the country and around the world, leading to preventable litigations that cost the National Department of Health (NDoH) high quantities of money. Critical thinking during clinical facilitation is crucial to ensure the development of a positive working environment and increasing performance and professional conduct by improving decision-making, evaluating the decision and its potential impact. However, little is known on how clinical facilitators inculcate critical thinking during clinical facilitation. Consequently, it is imperative to explore how the facilitation of critical thinking in clinical practice is implemented by clinical facilitators.
The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding on how critical thinking is facilitated to student nurses in clinical practice by clinical facilitators at a public nursing college in Gauteng, and to make recommendations to enhance the facilitation of critical thinking for student nurses. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was utilised. In this study, a purposive sampling method was used to select clinical facilitators in all undergraduate programmes. Sample size was determined by data saturation. Data collection was achieved through unstructured individual interviews that was analysed using a thematic qualitative data analysis method. Trustworthiness was ensured through credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability measures while adhering to ethical considerations.
One central theme emerged from the data analysis, which reflected that facilitation of critical thinking through different resources by clinical facilitators can enhance critical-thinking skills of student nurses in order to provide safe and effective nursing care in clinical situations. Four main themes that emerged were, (1) lack of understanding and knowledge on critical thinking, (2) lack of application of knowledge acquired in theory, (3) lack of self-directed learning by student nurses and (4) poor critical-thinking skills by student nurses. Conceptualisation and integration into relevant literature of the main themes and sub-themes was done. Recommendations to enhance critical thinking of student nurses in clinical areas in a public nursing college in Gauteng were made...