Critical thinking and patient outcomes: A review

There has been a multidisciplinary plethora of critical thinking definitions stemming from educators in 1912¹ through and inclusive of today. As nurses’ roles change in response to the dynamics of managed care and an increase in use of biotechnology in health care, more is expected of them both in terms of psychomotor and cognitive skills. The American Association for Colleges of Nursing requires that critical thinking be reflected within academic nursing programs as a core competency for program accreditation.² Although critical thinking has been associated with and evaluated in regard to learning outcomes, little information exists which links critical thinking to patient outcomes. The purpose of this article is to provide a literature review of critical thinking and to explore a possible link between nurses’ critical thinking and patient outcomes.