Date of Award
Spring 2024
Document Type
Project – Full Written
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Committee Chair
Tracy Arnold
Abstract
Introduction: The lack of competent clinical judgement among new graduate nurses contributes to poor patient outcomes, negatively impacting patient satisfaction scores, and subsequently raising the cost of healthcare for consumers. This project explores how reflective journaling and cooperative learning activities contribute to the development of critical thinking of nursing students during their Nursing Fundamentals clinical practicum.
Methods: Seventeen students enrolled in a private university nursing program were selected as the sample. The students were introduced to the recommended learning strategies and invited to anonymously participate in a pre-survey and post-survey. The surveys were identical in content and consisted of eight statements, aimed to identify perceptions of the impact reflective journaling and cooperative learning activities have on their critical thinking, by using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly agree, 2 = agree, 3 = neutral, 4 = disagree, 5 = strongly disagree). Qualitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Results: Out of the 17 nursing students who were invited to participate, 2 students responded to the pre-survey questionnaire and 3 students responded to the post-surgery questionnaire. One student reported a positive impact on critical thinking after implementing cooperative learning and reflective journaling.
Discussion: These findings may imply a gained interest in the learning strategies as they were applied in the clinical practicum.
Recommended Citation
Hope, Gabrielle, "Bridging the Gap: Strategies to Enrich the Clinical Experience of Undergraduate Nursing Students to Improve Clinical Judgment Skills" (2024). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 94.
https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/nursing-dnp/94
Creative Commons License
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