NUR 2811C: CRITICAL THINKING ESSAY 1

St. Pe te rsburg CollegeCri tical Thinking Scenario for

Nursing Studen ts

Background:The St. Petersburg College-wide Quality Enhancement Project (QEP) is aimed at enhancing student success

through critical thinking! To function as a professional nurse req uires the nurse to utilize the nursing process to ensurepatient care at the highest level. It is during the application of the nursing process that critical thinking occurs. For moreinformation on critical thinking, please refer to our College of Nursin g Student Handbook which can be found in theNursing Commons on ANGEL. This assignment provides structured prompts to assist you in analyzing the patientscenario. Your essays will be ‘graded’ by SPC

Patient History/Information:

A 58 year old female, with crippling rheumatoid arthritis and advanced liver failure, was brought into the EmergencyDepartment (ED). She was found on the floor in the bathroom of her apartment. Her husband called 911 and reportedshe was hard to arouse and had shallow respirat ions. An empty prescription bottle of temazepam (Restoril)30mg was found on the floor. The date on the bottle indicated that it had been refilled 1 week ago.

At the scene, the patient responded to painful stimuli applied by the paramedics by repeatedly saying “Iwant to die!” and resisting medical attention. Her level of consciousness is diminished and her speech isslurred.

As she is brought into the ED the patient is screaming, “You should let me die. I have no reason to live.”Her vital signs are t 37.2C, BP 80/40, P 118, R 12, SPO 2 92% on 2L/min via nasal cannula.

The ER staff along with the husband are discussing the best course of action for this patient. The ER nursethinks the patient needs to be admitted to ICU for further monitoring. The ER physician is considering BakerActing her for further psychiatric evaluation . The husband wants to take her back home once her vital signs arestable. He states they don’t have any health insurance and wants information about Hospice services.

Directions:

1. Write a Critical Thinking essay based on the scenario above2. Please turn it in by placing it in the Drop Box in the ANGEL course by the due date3. The specific elements and tasks include:

a. Communication: Define the problem in your own words.b. Analysis: Compare & contrast the available solutions within the scenario.c. Problem Solving: Select one of the available solutions and defend it as your final solution.d. Evaluation: Identify the weaknesses of your final solution.e. Synthesis: Suggest ways to improve/strengthen your final solution (may use information not

contained within the scenario).f. Reflection: Reflect on your own thought process after completing the assignment.

a. “What did you learn from this process?”b. “What would you do differently next time to improv e?”

4. .

NUR2811C: CT Scenario2009

St. Petersburg CollegeCollege of Nursing

NUR 2811C: Critical Thinking Essay AssignmentCriteria

**PerformanceElement**

Exemplary Proficient Developing Emerging NotPresent

I. Communication

Please clearly andthoroughly identify anddefine a problem or situation

Identifies the main idea orproblem with numeroussupporting details andexamples which areorganized logically andcoherently

Identifies the main ideaor problem with somesupporting details andexamples in anorganized manner

Identifies the main idea orproblem with few details orexamples in a somewhatorganized manner

Identifies the main idea orproblem poorly with fewor no details or states themain idea or problemverbatim from the text.

Does notidentify themain idea orproblem

II. AnalysisPlease clearly compare &contrast the available solutionsavailable to you.

Uses specific inductive ordeductive reasoning tomake inferencesregarding premises;addresses implicationsand consequences;identifies facts andrelevant informationcorrectly

Uses logical reasoningto make inferencesregarding solutions;addresses implicationsand consequences;Identifies facts andrelevant informationcorrectly

Uses superficial reasoningto make inferencesregarding solutions; Showssome confusion regardingfacts, opinions, andrelevant, evidence, data, orinformation

Makes unexplained,unsupported, orunreasonable inferencesregarding solutions;makes multiple errors indistinguishing fact fromfiction or in selectingrelevant evidence

Does notanalyzemultiplesolutions

III. Problem SolvingBased on your analysis above,please select and defend yourdesired solution.

Thoroughly identifies andaddresses key aspects ofthe problem andinsightfully uses facts andrelevant evidence fromanalysis to support anddefend potentially validsolutions

Identifies and addresseskey aspects of theproblem and uses factsand relevant evidencefrom analysis to developpotentially validconclusions or solutions

Identifies and addressessome aspects of theproblem; developspossible conclusions orsolutions using someinappropriate opinions andirrelevant information fromanalysis

Identifies and addressesonly one aspect of theproblem but developsuntestable hypothesis; ordevelops invalidconclusions or solutionsbased on opinion orirrelevant information.

Does notselect anddefend asolution

NUR2811C: CT Scenario2009

**PerformanceElement**

Exemplary Proficient Developing Emerging NotPresent

IV. EvaluationPlease identify strengths andweaknesses in your finalsolution.

Insightfully interprets dataor information;identifies obvious as wellas hidden assumptions,establishes credibility ofsources on points otherthan authority alone,avoids fallacies inreasoning; distinguishesappropriate argumentsfrom extraneouselements; providessufficient logical support

Accurately interpretsdata or information;identifies obviousassumptions,establishes credibility ofsources on points otherthan authority alone,avoids fallacies inreasoning; distinguishesappropriate argumentsfrom extraneouselements; providessufficient logical support

Makes some errors in dataor informationinterpretation; makesarguments using weakevidence; providessuperficial support forconclusions or solutions

Interprets data orinformation incorrectly;Supports conclusions orsolutions withoutevidence or logic; usesdata, information, orevidence skewed byinvalid assumptions;uses poor sources ofinformation; usesfallacious arguments

Does notevaluatedata,information,or evidencerelated tofinalsolution.

V. SynthesisBased on identifiedweaknesses, what additionalskills, information orknowledge would haveimproved or strengthenedyour final solution (“if I knewthen what I know” concept)

Insightfully relatesconcepts and ideas frommultiple sources; usesnew information toenhance final solution;recognizes missinginformation; correctlyidentifies potential effectsof new information.

Accurately relatesconcepts and ideas frommultiple sources; usesnew information toenhance final solution;correctly identifiespotential effects of newinformation.

Inaccurately orincompletely relatesconcepts and ideas frommultiple sources; shallowdetermination of effect ofnew information on finalsolution

Poorly integratesinformation from morethan one source tosupport final solution;Incorrectly predicts theeffect of new informationon final solution

Does notidentify newinformationfor finalsolution

VI. ReflectionReflect on your own thoughtprocess.

“What did you learn from thisprocess?”

“What could you do differentlynext time to improve?”

Identifies strengths andweaknesses in ownthinking: recognizespersonal assumptions,values and perspectives,compares to others’, andevaluates them in thecontext of alternate pointsof view

Identifies strengths andweaknesses in ownthinking: recognizespersonal assumptions,values andperspectives, comparesto others’, and evaluatesthem in the context ofalternate points of view

Identifies some personalassumptions, values, andperspectives;recognizes someassumptions, values andperspectives of others;shallow comparisons ofalternate points of view

Identifies some personalassumptions, values,and perspectives;does not consideralternate points of view

Does notreflect onownthinking