How Demographic and Academic Factors Relate to Critical Thinking Skills among Indonesian Nursing Students

For nursing students

Study summary

This article, "How Demographic and Academic Factors Relate to Critical Thinking Skills among Indonesian Nursing Students," investigates the relationship between various demographic and academic characteristics of nursing students in Indonesia and their levels of critical thinking. The study is important because critical thinking is a core competency for nurses; it supports clinical judgment, evidence-based practice, and ultimately patient safety.

The research was conducted at one specific private health education institution located in Riau Province, Indonesia. This means the findings are based on students from this particular setting and may not be generalizable to all Indonesian nursing students or those in other countries. The authors frame the problem by noting that while critical thinking is crucial for nursing practice, there's a lack of consistent evidence regarding its development among Indonesian nursing students specifically.

For undergraduate nursing students reading about this study, it's important to understand what 'critical thinking' means and how it was measured here. The paper used the Nursing Critical Thinking in Students Questionnaire (N-CT-4 Students), which is designed based on the 4-Circle Critical Thinking Model. This model likely assesses different aspects of critical thinking like analysis, evaluation, inference, etc., through a series of questions or items.

The study involved 365 students out of an initial group of 400 eligible participants, giving it a response rate of about 91%. While this is a good number for survey research, the fact that data came from only one institution could be seen as a limitation. The authors used statistical tests like descriptive statistics (to summarize what they found), and non-parametric tests such as Kruskal-Wallis test and chi-square test to see if there were significant differences in critical thinking levels based on different student characteristics.

The main findings from the study are that most of the students surveyed had a moderate level of critical thinking skills. More specifically, the authors found statistically significant associations between certain demographic and academic factors and these skill levels. These included gender (meaning being male or female was linked to differences in critical thinking), educational program type (perhaps different types of nursing programs at this institution showed variations), academic year (students in their first year versus later years might have shown different levels), and semester level (similarly, students in earlier semesters vs. later ones). However, the study did not find a significant association between age and critical thinking skills among these students.

When considering how to apply this evidence as a nurse or nursing student, it's important to remember that this was an observational study looking at existing characteristics rather than trying to change them through interventions. The authors suggest that educators can use strategies like case-based learning, reflective practices, and structured clinical experiences throughout the curriculum to help improve critical thinking skills in students.

It is also crucial for students to be aware of source rights and access. This paper is published in an open-access journal (Journal of Nursing Practice), which means it's freely available online through its DOI link: https://thejnp.org/index.php/jnp/article/view/1011. However, always check the specific publisher's terms for reuse if you plan to share or build upon this work.

In summary, this research highlights that critical thinking is a key area of development for Indonesian nursing students and that certain factors like gender, program type, academic year, and semester level appear to influence these skills. Age did not show such an association in this particular study. The findings suggest practical ways educators can focus their efforts to enhance critical thinking across the curriculum.

Students should approach this research by first understanding its purpose: to explore relationships between student characteristics and a vital skill. They should then consider how the methods used (questionnaire, statistical tests) allowed for these conclusions. It's important to critically appraise what the findings mean – they show associations but not necessarily causation or universal truths beyond the specific context of this study. The discussion questions provided below can help guide further thought on these points.

The authors conclude that most nursing students in their sample demonstrated a moderate level of critical thinking, and that this skill was linked to gender and academic characteristics (program type, year, semester), but not age. They recommend specific educational strategies for strengthening critical thinking across the curriculum.

For educators

Teaching and appraisal notes

This study, "How Demographic and Academic Factors Relate to Critical Thinking Skills among Indonesian Nursing Students," by Adelia et al., investigates associations between demographic and academic variables and levels of critical thinking in a sample of nursing students from one private health education institution in Riau Province, Indonesia. The research is framed within the context that critical thinking is essential for clinical judgment, evidence-based practice, and patient safety among nurses.

The study employed a cross-sectional design with data collected via the Nursing Critical Thinking in Students Questionnaire (N-CT-4 Students), which assesses four dimensions of the 4-Circle Critical Thinking Model. The sample comprised 365 students out of an initial eligible pool of 400, yielding a response rate of 91.3%. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests: Kruskal-Wallis test for comparing critical thinking levels across groups defined by continuous or ordinal variables (e.g., academic year), and chi-square test of independence for categorical variables (e.g., gender).

The key findings indicate that nearly half (48.2%) of the respondents had a moderate level of critical thinking, with no students achieving high levels in this sample. Inferential analysis revealed statistically significant associations between critical thinking levels and several factors: gender (χ² = 7.997; p = 0.018), educational program type (χ² = 10.886; p = 0.004), academic year (χ² = 12.352; p = 0.015), and semester level (χ² = 12.352; p = 0.015). Conversely, age was not found to be significantly associated with critical thinking levels (H = 4.398; p = 0.111).

For nursing educators, these findings suggest that critical thinking development is a multifaceted process influenced by various student characteristics within the Indonesian context studied. The significant association with gender implies potential differences in how male and female students develop or express critical thinking skills, which warrants further exploration into underlying reasons (e.g., socialization, learning preferences). The strong link between educational program type highlights that different curricular structures might foster varying levels of critical thinking; educators should examine the specific features of successful programs. The progressive increase in critical thinking with academic year and semester level indicates a positive trajectory for skill development over time within this cohort.

The authors conclude by recommending case-based learning, reflective practices, and structured clinical experiences as strategies to enhance critical thinking across the nursing curriculum. This aligns with established pedagogical approaches known to promote higher-order cognitive skills. However, faculty should consider that these recommendations are based on an observational study from a single institution in Indonesia; thus, their generalizability requires cautious interpretation.

The limitations of this research include its cross-sectional design (preventing causal inference), the specific setting which may limit external validity beyond Riau Province or Indonesian nursing education systems, and potential self-report bias inherent in questionnaire-based assessments. The study also does not provide information on how critical thinking was operationalized within each dimension of the 4-Circle model.

Overall, this paper contributes valuable insights into factors influencing critical thinking among Indonesian nursing students, offering a basis for targeted educational interventions aimed at strengthening these vital skills.