Journals / Sağlık Akademisyenleri Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 13 Sayı: 1

Critical thinking tendency and Professional behavior of nurses

Hemşirelerin eleştirel düşünme eğilimleri ve profesyonellik davranışları

Gizem Açıkgöz(İSTANBUL KENT ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0002-6133-9038
Ayşe Nefise Bahçecik(İSTANBUL SABAHATTİN ZAİM ÜNİVERSİTESİ, SAĞLIK BİLİMLERİ FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0002-5290-1017
Pages
85–96
Publication Date
2026-03-31
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
DergiPark Record ↗
✨

AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The study reveals that critical thinking and professionalism behaviors have an essential place in the nursing profession and are related to professional development characteristics.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Introduction and Objective: Critical thinking is widely emphasized as a cornerstone of effective decision-making and the delivery of quality care.
📊
Key Findings & Data:Material and Methods: The descriptive study was conducted with 678 nurses.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:The study reveals that critical thinking and professionalism behaviors have an essential place in the nursing profession and are related to professional development characteristics.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Eleştirel Düşünme · Hemşirelik · Profesyonellik

Abstract

Introduction and Objective: Critical thinking is widely emphasized as a cornerstone of effective decision-making and the delivery of quality care. Professional behaviors, on the other hand, are highlighted as essential for strengthening nurses’ professional identity and enhancing the quality of healthcare services. One of the essential conditions for providing qualified nursing care is to think critically in care management and evaluate the process from a professional perspective. This study aims to determine nurses' critical thinking tendencies and professional behaviors, as well as the relationship between these two aspects. Material and Methods: The descriptive study was conducted with 678 nurses. The Introductory Information Form, California Critical Thinking Disposition Scale (CCTDS), and Behavioral Inventory for Professionalism in Nursing were used to collect data. Descriptive statistical analyses, including independent group t-tests, Pearson correlation analysis, and one-way ANOVA tests, were used to evaluate the data. Results and Discussion: Nurses' critical thinking tendencies (211.05±23.32) and professionalism behaviors (6.41±4.08) were found to be low. A significant relationship was found between the nurses' critical thinking tendency and their professionalism behaviors, as well as the total score and its sub-dimensions. The study reveals that critical thinking and professionalism behaviors have an essential place in the nursing profession and are related to professional development characteristics.

Özet

Giriş ve Amaç: Hemşirelik mesleğinde eleştirel düşünme, etkili karar verme ve kaliteli bakım sunumunun temel unsurlarından biri olarak vurgulanmaktadır. Profesyonellik davranışları ise hemşirelerin mesleki kimliğini güçlendiren ve sağlık hizmetlerinin niteliğini artıran önemli bir kavram olarak öne çıkmaktadır. Nitelikli hemşirelik bakımı sağlamanın önemli koşullarından biri bakım yönetiminde eleştirel düşünmek ve süreci profesyonel bir bakış açısıyla değerlendirmektir. Bu çalışma hemşirelerin eleştirel düşünme eğilimlerini ve profesyonellik davranışlarını ve aralarındaki ilişkiyi belirlemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Tanımlayıcı nitelikteki bu çalışma 678 hemşire ile yürütülmüştür. Verilerin toplamasında Tanıtıcı Bilgi Formu, Kaliforniya Eleştirel Düşünme Eğilimi Ölçeği (KEDEÖ) ve Hemşirelikte Profesyonellik Davranış Envanteri (HPDE) kullanılmıştır. Verilerin değerlendirilmesinde tanımlayıcı istatistiksel analizler, bağımsız grup T testi, Pearson korelasyon analizi ve One-Way Anova testi kullanılmıştır. Bulgular ve Sonuç: Hemşirelerin eleştirel düşünme eğilimleri (211,05±23,32) ve profesyonellik davranışları (6,41±4,08) olarak düşük bulunmuştur. Hemşirelerin eleştirel düşünme eğilimleri ile profesyonellik davranışları, toplam puan ve alt boyutlar arasında anlamlı ilişki bulunmuştur. Çalışma, eleştirel düşünme ve profesyonellik davranışlarının hemşirelik mesleğinde önemli bir yere sahip olduğunu ve mesleki gelişim özellikleriyle ilişkili olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır.

🔖

Cite This Article

Açıkgöz, G., Bahçecik, A. N. (2026). Critical thinking tendency and Professional behavior of nurses. Sağlık Akademisyenleri Dergisi, Cilt: 13 Sayı: 1, 85–96. https://doi.org/10.52880/sagakaderg.1769767

📄 Full Text PDF Viewer

📄

PDF görüntüleyici hazırlanıyor...

References (40)

  1. American Philosophical Association. (1990). Critical thinking: A statement of expert consensus for purposes of educational assessment and instruction (ERIC Document No. 315–423).
  2. Burke, R. J., Dolan, S. L., & Fiksenbaum, L. (2013). Part-time versus full-time work: An empirical evidence-based case of nurses in Spain. Evidence-Based HRM, 2(2), 176–191. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBHRM-02-2013-0001
  3. Campbell, J., & Bunting, S. (2020). Effects of problem-based learning vs. traditional lectures on Korean nursing students' critical thinking. Nurse Education Today, 98, 104112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2020.104112
  4. Campbell, K. A., Van Borek, N., Marcellus, L., Landy, C. K., Jack, S. M., & British Columbia Healthy Connections Project Process Evaluation Research Team. (2020). "The hardest job you will ever love": Nurse recruitment, retention, and turnover in the Nurse-Family Partnership program in British Columbia, Canada. PLOS ONE, 15(9), e0237028. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0237028.
  5. Chan, Z. C. Y. (2019). Nursing students' view of critical thinking as ‘own thinking, searching for truth, and cultural influences’. Nurse Education Today, 78, 14–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2019.03.015
  6. Chao, S. Y., Liu, H. Y., Wu, M. C., Clark, M. J., & Tan, J. Y. (2013). Identifying critical thinking indicators and critical thinker attributes in nursing practice. Journal of Nursing Research, 21(3), 204–211. https://doi.org/10.1097/jnr.0b013e3182a0aee9
  7. Chen, Q., Liu, D., Zhou, C., & Tang, S. (2020). Critical thinking ability and medication safety competence among clinical nurses: A multicenter study. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 29(7–8), 1332–1340. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15153
  8. Choi, E., & Lindquist, R. (2021). Problem-based learning and nursing education: A systematic comparison. Nurse Education Today, 104, 104943. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2021.104943
  9. Dur, Ş., & Erkin, Ö. (2023). Hemşirelikte eleştirel düşünme eğitiminin etkisi: Yarı deneysel çalışma. Gençlik Araştırmaları Dergisi, 11(29), 82–84.
  10. Erkuş, B., & Bahçecik, N. (2015). Level of critical thinking and problem-solving skills of administrator nurses and nurses who work at private hospitals. Clinical and Experimental Health Sciences, 5(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.5455/musbed.20141106035312
  11. Facione, P. A. (1990). Critical thinking: A statement of expert consensus for purposes of educational assessment and instruction. Research findings and recommendations. California Academic Press.
  12. Facione, P. A., Facione, N., & Giancarlo, C. A. F. (1992). The California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory: CCTDI. California Academic Press.
  13. Falcó-Pegueroles, A., Rodríguez-Martín, D., Ramos-Pozón, S., & Zuriguel-Pérez, E. (2021). Critical thinking in nursing clinical practice, education and research: From attitudes to virtue. Nursing Philosophy, 22(1), e12332. https://doi.org/10.1111/nup.12332.
  14. Gezer, N., Yıldırım, B., & Özaydın, E. (2017). Factors in the critical thinking disposition and skills of intensive care nurses. Journal of Nursing and Care, 6(2), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.4172/2167-1168.1000390
  15. Gloudemans, H. A., Schalk, R. M., & Reynaert, W. (2013). The relationship between critical thinking skills and self-efficacy beliefs in mental health nurses. Nurse Education Today, 33(3), 275–280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2012.05.006
  16. Griffiths, P., Dall'Ora, C., Simon, M., Ball, J., Lindqvist, R., Rafferty, A. M., Schoonhoven, L., Tishelman, C., Aiken, L. H., & RN4CAST Consortium. (2014). Nurses' shift length and overtime working in 12 European countries: The association with perceived quality of care and patient safety. Medical Care, 52(11), 975–981. https://doi.org/10.1097/MLR.0000000000000233
  17. Hampton, D. L., & Hampton, G. M. (2000). Professionalism and the nurse-midwife practitioner: An exploratory study. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 12(6), 218–225. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-7599.2000.tb00185.x
  18. Hunter, S., Pitt, V., Croce, N., & Roche, J. (2014). Critical thinking skills of undergraduate nursing students: Description and demographic predictors. Nurse Education Today, 34(5), 809–814. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2013.08.005
  19. Karaca, A., Kaya, G., & Kaya, L. (2023). The relationship between critical thinking skills and caregiving roles of nurses. Journal of Educational Research in Nursing, 20(4), 360–366.
  20. Karadağ, A., Hisar, F., & Özhan, E. N. (2004). Behavioral inventory of professionalism in nursing. Nursing Forum, 7(4), 14–22.
  21. Khachian, A., Farahani, M. A., Haghani, H., & Tamed, M. A. (2016). Evaluation of nurses' professional behavior and its relationship with organizational culture and commitment. International Journal of Medical Research and Health Sciences, 5(12), 247–252.
  22. Kökdemir, D. (2003). Decision-making and problem-solving in uncertain situations (Doctoral thesis). Ankara University, Institute of Social Sciences, Department of Social Psychology, Ankara.
  23. Ludin, S. M. (2018). Does good critical thinking equal effective decision-making among critical care nurses? A cross-sectional survey. Intensive & Critical Care Nursing, 44, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iccn.2017.06.002
  24. Mahmoud, A. S., & Mohamed, H. A. (2017). Critical thinking disposition among nurses working in public hospitals at Port-Said Governorate. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 4(2), 128–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnss.2017.02.006
  25. Miller, B. K., Adams, D., & Beck, L. (1993). A behavioral inventory for professionalism in nursing. Journal of Professional Nursing, 9(5), 290–295. https://doi.org/10.1016/8755-7223(93)90055-h
  26. Nelson, A. E. (2017). Methods faculty use to facilitate nursing students' critical thinking. Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 12(1), 62–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teln.2016.09.007
  27. Paul, S. A. (2014). Assessment of critical thinking: A Delphi study. Nurse Education Today, 34(11), 1357–1360. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2014.03.008
  28. RCD Systematic Review. (2023). Reflective case discussion for enhancing nurses’ professionalism and critical thinking: A PRISMA systematic review. Journal of Medicine and Life, 16(1), 45–52. https://doi.org/10.25122/jml-2023-0045
  29. Saksvik-Lehouillier, I., Bjorvatn, B., Magerøy, N., & Pallesen, S. (2016). Hardiness, psychosocial factors and shift work tolerance among nurses: A 2-year follow-up study. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 72(8), 1800–1812. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.12951
  30. Tanaka, M., Yonemitsu, Y., & Kawamoto, R. (2014). Nursing professionalism. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 20(6), 579–587. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijn.12201
  31. Van Nguyen, T., & Liu, H.-E. (2021). Factors associated with the critical thinking ability of professional nurses. Nursing Open, 8(5), 1970–1980. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.832
  32. Voldbjerg, S. L., Grønkjær, M., Sørensen, E. E., & Hall, E. O. (2016). Newly graduated nurses' use of knowledge sources: A meta-ethnography. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 72(8), 1751–1765. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.12914
  33. Von Colln-Appling, C., & Giuliano, D. (2017). A concept analysis of critical thinking: A guide for nurse educators. Nurse Education Today, 49, 106–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2016.11.007
  34. Walker, S. E. (2003). Active learning strategies to promote critical thinking. Journal of Athletic Training, 38(3), 263–267.
  35. Wangensteen, S., Johansson, I. S., Björkström, M. E., & Nordström, G. (2010). Critical thinking dispositions among newly graduated nurses. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 66(10), 2170–2181. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2010.05282.x
  36. Westerdahl, F., Wennick, A., Borglin, G., & Carlson, E. (2025). Nurse Educators' Conceptions of How They Facilitate Critical Thinking in Bachelor Nursing Students: A Phenomenographic Study. Journal of advanced nursing, 10.1111/jan.70327. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.70327.
  37. Wong, S. H. V., & Kowitlawakul, Y. (2020). Exploring perceptions and barriers in developing critical thinking and clinical reasoning of nursing students: A qualitative study. Nurse Education Today, 95, 104600. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2020.104600
  38. Zarzycka, D., & Gesek, M. (2022). The factors affecting critical thinking skills among nursing students: An integrative literature review. Pielęgniarstwo XXI Wieku / Nursing in the 21st Century, 21(3), 174–180. https://doi.org/10.2478/pielxxiw-2022-0021
  39. Zuriguel-Pérez, E., Falcó-Pegueroles, A., Agustino-Rodríguez, S., Gómez-Martín, M. D. C., Roldán-Merino, J., & Lluch-Canut, M. T. (2019). Clinical nurses' critical thinking level according to sociodemographic and professional variables (Phase II): A correlational study. Nurse Education in Practice, 41, 102649. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2019.102649
  40. Zuriguel-Pérez, E., Lluch-Canut, M. T., Agustino-Rodríguez, S., Gómez-Martín, M. D. C., Roldán-Merino, J., & Falcó-Pegueroles, A. (2018). Critical thinking: A comparative analysis between nurse managers and registered nurses. Journal of Nursing Management, 26(8), 1083–1090. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12640