Effects of a Modified Version of Illness-Wellness Continuum Framework on Nursing Students’ Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment

Background: As health care evolves, nursing faculty need to continuously update the curriculum. Theories and models help students grasp abstract critical thinking concepts that underpin clinical reasoning. Purpose: To evaluate how integrating the Illness-Wellness Continuum model into the nursing curriculum affects undergraduate students’ critical thinking and clinical judgment. Methods: This was a study of 127 students in a medical-surgical nursing course using the Critical Thinking Self-Assessment Scale and a clinical judgment tool. Results: Clinical judgment scores improved significantly ( P < .001) from course start (4.87 ± 0.60) to end (5.38 ± 0.49), as did critical thinking scores (4.47 ± 0.67; 4.96 ± 0.70). Age and gender showed no significant effects, although the relationship between critical thinking and clinical judgment strengthened significantly (Fisher z = 2.64, P = .014). Conclusions: The Modified Illness-Wellness Continuum model effectively bridges foundational medical knowledge with nursing practice, fostering critical thinking and clinical judgment in undergraduate nursing students.