Developing Critical Thinking Skills in Nursing Students by Group Dynamics

The aim of this quasi-experimental study was to determine the effects of holding group-dynamic sessions in clinical training on critical thinking skills of baccalaureate nursing students. All 60 senior students were selected and randomly divided into two equal groups. Data collection tools included a demographic questionnaire and four forms of clinical reports based on nursing process. For students in the experimental group, selected topics on family health were discussed over 8-10 group-dynamic sessions, and for other students in the control group, routine educational program was performed. The scores of critical thinking skills were then compared in the two groups. T-test revealed a significant difference in total and partial scores of critical thinking skills in the two groups. Therefore, research hypothesis was supported. It can be concluded that applying cooperative learning methods appears to be helpful as a suitable approach in clinical training of nurses.