Critical Thinking: Knowledge and Skills for Evidence-Based Practice

PURPOSE: I respond to Kamhi's (2011) conclusion in his article "Balancing Certainty and Uncertainty in Clinical Practice" that rational or critical thinking is an essential complement to evidence-based practice (EBP). METHOD: I expand on Kamhi's conclusion and briefly describe what clinicians might need to know to think critically within an EBP profession. Specifically, I suggest how critical thinking is relevant to EBP, broadly summarize the relevant skills, indicate the importance of thinking dispositions, and outline the various ways our thinking can go wrong. CONCLUSION: I finish the commentary by suggesting that critical thinking skills should be considered a required outcome of our professional training programs.