Evaluation of Critical Thinking Outcomes of a BSN Program

• Published in: Holistic nursing practice Vol. 15; no. 3; pp. 27 - 34
• Main Authors: Spelic, Stephanie Stockard, Parsons, Mary, Hercinger, Maribeth, Andrews, Aris, Parks, Jane, Norris, Joan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Copyright by Aspen Publishers, Inc 01-04-2001; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Ovid Technologies
• Subjects: Adult; Cognition & reasoning; Colleges & universities; Curricula; Curriculum - standards; Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate - standards; Educational evaluation; Educational Measurement - methods; Female; Health education; Humans; Male; Models, Educational; Nursing; Nursing Education Research - methods; Students, Nursing - psychology; Thinking; Time Factors
• ISSN: 0887-9311; 1550-5138
• DOI: 10.1097/00004650-200104000-00007

Following a curriculum revision, which emphasized critical thinking, a school of nursing selected the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) as a standardized outcomes measure for its bachelorʼs of science in nursing (BSN) program. Students in three tracks of the program were administered the CCTST on entry into the nursing curriculum and again on exit. Paired t tests for dependent samples were used to analyzepretest-posttest differences of all students (N = 136) in the program. Results for students in each of the three tracks demonstrated significantly improved (P ≤ .05) CCTST scores on all subscales and total scores, with one exception. RN to BSN studentsʼ scores on the Analysis subscale approached but did not reach significance (P = .058). Implications for evaluation are discussed.