A clinical nursing instructor asks the nursing students to describe a

A clinical nursing instructor asks the nursing students to describe a critical thinker. Which of the following represents the best response?

1. “A person with the educational background to solve problems.”
2. “A person who finds the problem and does what is best to fix it.”
3. “It’s someone who uses the scientific method to solve problems.”
4. “Someone who uses a system to work through and solve a problem.”

ANSWER

ANS: 2
A critical thinker considers what is important in a situation, imagines and explores alternatives, considers ethical principles, and then makes informed decisions. Educational background may have an impact on critical thinking but it is not the primary or sole factor to consider. Although the scientific method is often used in critical thinking it is neither the only method nor the sole factor to consider. While an orderly method is used in critical thinking, it is not the only factor to consider.