Critical Thinking Process Test

Development & Technical Report

The lack of a standard definition of critical thinking by nursing has complicated the measurement of critical thinking, making it a challenging process (Adams, M. H., Whitlow, J. F., Stover, L. M. & Johnson, K. W., 1996; Rane-Szostak & Robertson, 1996). Initially a variety of quantitative commercial instruments were used to measure critical thinking (Pless & Clayton, 1993; Adams, et. al., 1996). Subsequently, these tests have fallen into disfavor by nurse educators who have raised issues of validity, reliability, and suitability of the tests to measure critical thinking skills in making professional judgments within the full range of nursing settings (Adams, et. al., 1996; Rane-Szostak & Robertson, 1996; and Walsh & Hardy, 1999). Noted nursing scholar, Christine Tanner, in 1993 maintained: "There is no single best approach to assessing students' critical thinking/clinical judgment abilities; nor is there a best way to help these students develop these abilities" (Tanner, 1993, page 387).

Currently nursing programs are meeting the challenge by using teaching/learning strategies (i.e. portfolios, case studies, self-reports) to develop student critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities (Jones & Brown, 1993; Kramer, 1993; Pless & Clayton, 1993; Facione, 1995; and Alexander & Giguere, 1996). These newer teaching/learning methodologies have led to the development of qualitative assessment strategies to measure the maturation of student critical thinking abilities (Pless & Clayton, 1993; Facione & Facione, 1996; Alexander & Giguere, 1996). Many nurse educators have called for an additional quantitative measurement of critical thinking abilities that are nursing based, client focused, and set in the nursing environment (Adams, et. al., 1996; Rane-Szostak & Robertson, 1996).

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