Purpose: The descriptive-correlational study was undertaken in order to investigate the relationships between critical thinking disposition and critical thinking skill in clinical nurses.
Methods: A convenience sample of 50 registered nurses was obtained from E University Hospital. The instruments used in this study were general characteristics, California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI) and California Critical Thinking Skill Test(CCTST) developed by Facione & Facione (1994). The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Duncan test and Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient with SPSS 12.0 Program.
Results: 1) There was a statistically significant difference in critical thinking disposition according to age (F=3.23, p=.03) and educational background (F=39.07, p=.00). 2) There was a statistically significant difference in critical thinking skill according to age (F=3.40, p=.02), educational background(F=32.51, p=.00), and period of professional nursing experience(F=3.56, p=.02).
Conclusion: A significant positive correlation between critical thinking disposition and critical thinking skill was found(r=.68, p=.00). Critical thinking disposition and critical thinking skill according to age and educational background had statistically significant differences. Therefore, it is needed to emphasize the necessity of continuous education and training of nurses which prepare their critical thinking ability.
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