Probing Concept of Critical Thinking in Nursing Education in Iran: A Concept Analysis

PURPOSE: Given the wide disagreement over the definition of critical thinking in different disciplines, defining and standardizing the concept according to the discipline of nursing is essential. Moreover, there is limited scientific evidence regarding critical thinking in the context of nursing in Iran. The aim of this study was to analyze and clarify the concept of critical thinking in nursing education in Iran. METHODS: We employed the hybrid model to define the concept of critical thinking. The hybrid model has three interconnected phases-the theoretical phase, the fieldwork phase, and the final analytic phase. In the theoretical phase, we searched the online scientific databases (such as Elsevier, Wiley, CINAHL, Proquest, Ovid, and Springer as well as Iranian databases such as SID, Magiran, and Iranmedex). In the fieldwork phase, a purposive sample of 17 nursing faculties, PhD students, clinical instructors, and clinical nurses was recruited. Participants were interviewed by using an interview guide. In the analytical phase we compared the data from the theoretical and the fieldwork phases. RESULTS: The concept of critical thinking had many different antecedents, attributes, and consequences. Antecedents, attributes, and consequences of critical thinking concept identified in the theoretical phase were in some ways different and in some way similar to antecedents, attributes, and consequences identified in the fieldwork phase. Finally critical thinking in nursing education in Iran was clarified. CONCLUSION: Critical thinking is a logical, situational, purposive, and outcome-oriented thinking process. It is an acquired and evolving ability which develops individually. Such thinking process could lead to the professional accountability, personal development, God's consent, conscience appeasement, and personality development.

An exemplar university professor from students' perspective in Tehran University of Medical Sciences: a qualitative study

Universities should play an important role in education commensurate with the expectations of stakeholders and of the community as well. The university professors and teachers have critical positions in education. This research aimed to explore the perspective of students in Tehran University of Medical Sciences [TUMS] about characteristics of a model teacher. Inductive qualitative content analysis was used to explore students' perspective based on naturalistic philosophy. The participants in this study were 19 students who were enrolled in various courses at TUMS. To collect data, semi-structured in-depth individual interviews were used. Findings were analyzed using conventional content analysis approach. The results of the study led to the identification of three main themes: teacher's science, moral imperatives in education, and communication with students. The first and third theme had a subtheme called science and oration and flexibility of classroom atmosphere. Regarding a considerable proportion of family caregivers of patients with heart failure were suspected cases of mental health disorders, routine assessment of mental health in this group of caregivers should be consider to identify those at risk, also clinical team should design and implement effective programs aimed at improving the mental health especially in caregiver who provide care for younger patients