Abstract provided by author:
Critical thinking is a very relevant topic in Health Sciences and Nursing Education and the development of critical thinking in the student nurse is of equal importance
The aim of this study was to determine the role of the clinical nurse instructor in the development of critical thinking in student nurses. The study was conducted in the training hospitals of Namibia, Windhoek and Oshakati and clinical nurse instructors from all disciplines were included in the study as well as student nurses in their second, third and fourth years of study. A survey approach was used and data was collected by means of questionniares
The findings revealed that although the professional nurse is aware of her role as clinical nurse instructor, s/he does not focus on the development of critical thinking in student nurses. Student nurses, on the other hand, have a very positive experience concerning their lecturers but when they are in the ward some factors hinder them to think critically
The findings further indicated a definite need for in-service programmes to emphasize the role of the clinical nurse instructor, not only in clinical teaching, but also in the development of critical thinking. The study also indicated that student nurses in Namibia should be motivated to become actively involved in their own studies before they can be developed as critical thinkers
Recommendations for further research include the design of a model/programme to facilitate critical thinking. The researcher also recommends that the critical thinking abilities of nursing students in different phases of their training should be evaluated which will be of use to determine exact strategies which can be utilized to facilitate critical thinking
