Critical thinking skills are necessary for today’s workforce, regardless of what career you have. These skills involve collecting information and data, asking detailed questions, and analyzing all the possible solutions. When caring for another person’s health and welfare, these skills are necessary not only for the patient’s health but also for success.
Phoenix Home Care & Hospice goes into a further explanation on how to use critical thinking skills in your home health nursing career.
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Identifying Problems
When caring for a patient who is sick or in distress, being able to identify the problem quickly and accurately is vital. Often, there is little time to assess and react. Additionally, sometimes symptoms are only masking the problem. Using critical thinking skills, along with your training, will be vital in identifying the problem.
Collecting and Organizing Data
Once you have identified the problem, the next step in critical thinking is to collect your data.
Have you looked at every possible scenario? Have you ruled out everything that the problem cannot be? When you can answer ‘yes’ to these questions, then you can be reasonably sure that the possibilities left are solid.
Now you can go about collecting the data. As a home health nurse, this can mean taking vital signs, confirming that medication has been administered correctly, and identifying any outside circumstances that could have contributed to the problem. Use your training to go through a list of cause and effect, because your nurse training prepares you for such a moment.
Organizing your data can also help paint the picture. Consider a list or a timeline. Either way, they may tell a story by collecting the facts.
Identify Possible Solutions
Determining a solution is just as important as identifying the issue. Critical thinking here involves assessing every possible solution, including ones you may not usually consider. An additional step in critical thinking involves recording what possible solutions didn’t work. That will be valuable knowledge to others who may experience this issue.
Identify Ways to Improve the Solution
Once the situation is under control and the problem has been resolved, take time to look for ways to improve the solution. This can often be the difference between a good nurse and a great one.
Related Post: Why You Need Fantastic Organizational Skills in Home Health Nursing
Home Health Nurses at Phoenix Home Care
Phoenix Home Care & Hospice specializes in caring for clients at home, where we believe the best healing occurs. Our home health services can help you or your loved one navigate the healing process, whether you need help following a hospital discharge, or you require long-term healing. Contact Phoenix Home Care online or call toll-free 1-888-830-2388 for more information on what we offer.
