Category: Critical Thinking

Review the following passages, which illustrate various judgments. For each passage:
Identify the evaluative criteria on which the judgments are based.
Describe the reasons or evidence the author uses to support the criteria.
Explain whether you agree or disagree with the judgments and give your rationale.
“One widely held misconception concerning pizza should be laid to rest. Although it may be characterized as fast food, pizza is not junk food. Especially when it is made with fresh ingredients, pizza fulfills our basic nutritional requirements. The crust provides carbohydrates; from the cheese and meat or fish comes protein; and the tomatoes, herbs, onions, and garlic supply vitamins and minerals.”
—Louis Philip Salamone, “Pizza: Fast Food, Not Junk Food”
“Let us return to the question of food. Responsible agronomists report that before the end of the year millions of people, if unaided, might starve to death. Half a billion deaths by starvation is not an uncommon estimate. Even though the United States has done more than any other nation to feed the hungry, our relative affluence makes us morally vulnerable in the eyes of other nations and in our own eyes. Garrett Hardin, who has argued for a “lifeboat” ethic of survival (if you take all the passengers aboard, everybody drowns), admits that the decision not to feed all the hungry requires of us “a very hard psychological adjustment.” Indeed it would. It has been estimated that the 3.5 million tons of fertilizer spread on American golf courses and lawns could provide up to 30 million tons of food in overseas agricultural production. The nightmarish thought intrudes itself. If we as a nation allow people to starve while we could, through some sacrifice, make more food available to them, what hope can any person have for the future of international relations? If we cannot agree on this most basic of values—feed the hungry—what hopes for the future can we entertain?”
—James R. Kelly, “The Limits of Reason” Source: © 2013 Commonweal Foundation, reprinted with permission. For more information, visit www.commonwealmagazine.org.

Create a concept map using information from this case study:
M.S., a 72-year-old white woman, comes to your clinic for a complete
physical examination. She has not been to a provider for 11 years
because “I don’t like doctors.” Her only complaint today is “pain in my
upper back.”
She describes the pain as sharp and knifelike. The pain began
approximately three weeks ago when she was getting out of bed in the
morning and hasn’t changed. M.S. rates her pain as 6 on a 0- to 10-point
pain scale and says the pain decreases to 3 or 4 after taking “a couple
of ibuprofen.” She denies recent falls or trauma.
M.S. admits she needs to quit smoking and start exercising but
states, “I don’t have the energy to exercise, and besides, I’ve always
been thin.” She has smoked one to two packs of cigarettes per day since
she was 17 years old. Her last blood work was 11 years ago, and she
can’t remember the results. She went through menopause at the age of 47
and has never taken hormone replacement therapy. The physical exam was
unremarkable other than moderate tenderness to deep palpation over the
spinous process at T7. No masses or tenderness to the tissue surrounded
the tender spot. No visible masses, skin changes, or erythema were
noted. Her neurologic exam is intact, and no muscle wasting is noted.
M.S. has never had an osteoporosis screening. She confides that her
mother and grandmother were diagnosed with osteoporosis when they were
in their early 50s.
Include answers to the following questions in your concept map:
What is the priority concept of this scenario?
Write a summary of the pathophysiology if appropriate.
What assessment findings led you to identify this priority problem? Are there other concerns based on your assessment of M.S.?
What is your priority problem?
Based on your knowledge of the nursing process so far, what goals would you recommend in the plan of care for M.S?
What interventions will help M.S. meet these goals?
How would you evaluate your plan of care to determine the next steps?
Remember: This is your first attempt at creating a
concept map using all phases of the nursing process. Focus on choices
based on evidence and being able to support your decisions.

Read Unfolding Case Study: Activity 3. Then, answer the reflective questions.
Case Study
Jean wanted nothing more than to live her final days at home. It was disappointing that she went to the hospital for lightheadedness and now would never return home. In long-term care, she secretly hoped she would be able to return home, she thought; if she worked hard enough. Her mood was uplifted when visited by her grandchildren. One evening, after her visitors had left, Jean placed her call light on for assistance to use the restroom. She waited for 20 minutes, and nobody came to help. She was worried she would be incontinent and soil her underclothing, so she got up independently. Unfortunately, she was too weak and dizzy and fell on the carpeted floor. Now, she was really scared. She thought she certainly wouldn’t be allowed to return home after falling. Fortunately, she was not injured but would not be allowed to leave her bed without others’ help. She became depressed and, sadly, died one week later surrounded by her family in long-term care.
Reflective Questions
After reading the case study, answer the following questions in a Microsoft Word document. Refer to the learning material presented in this module for guidance.
Reflect on your answers in Activity 1. Did Jean’s desire for independence stand out to you as important? If the staff knew Jean valued her independence, how could they have used this information to promote safety?
Explain how clinical forethought is used to predict potential complications and what it means to you as a future nurse.
Describe the value of seeing healthcare through the client’s eyes. How can nurses have an impact on the lives of clients like Jean?
In your opinion, did Jean receive client-centered care? Why or why not?
Read Unfolding Case Study: Activity 2. Then, answer the reflective questions.
Case Study
Jean had been living alone at home for two months after her diagnosis. One day when waking up, she developed lightheadedness. She called her son to help her. Her son insisted on driving her to the emergency room, where the doctors decided she would be admitted for tests. A CT scan revealed cancer had metastasized (spread) to her brain. The doctor and nurse discussed the situation with her four sons. The four sons were unable to stay with their mother. Although Jean was a very independent woman who wanted to go home, she would not be allowed to return home, but instead, the social worker arranged for her to be admitted to a long-term care facility.
Reflective Questions
After reading the case studies, answer the following questions 
What interventions protect patients from falling in the long-term care setting?
How is the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL’s) related to safety?
Each response should be 3–5 sentences in length, clear and concise, original (using your own words), and free of grammatical errors.
please be sure to include at least one reference per case study to support your answers

Assignment objective: Students will create a paper involving the development and analysis of an argument that seeks to solve a real-world problem.
Length: Your submission should be at least two pages in length, not counting the title page and references (if used).
References: No outside sources are required for the assignment.
Details: This assignment has two parts. Both parts will be completed in the same attached Unit VII Homework Template.
Part 1: Choose one of the three topics from the table below. Write an argument with a clear conclusion (thesis) that you have created about this topic. Your conclusion must be a straightforward one-sentence assertion. Note that your thesis or conclusion can be something narrow within each topic. For example, “I should stop smoking” is a thesis or conclusion that falls under the topic of being healthy.
Incorporate the following guidelines as you write:
Briefly introduce the issue or topic.
Identify at least two premises for your conclusion.
Write at least one page for your argument and written response.
Your written response should include inductive (an observation arriving at a theory) aspects of your argument as well as deductive (a theory that arrives at a conclusion) aspects.
List at least one fallacy that you may have committed but have avoided.
Write at least one unstated assumption that is logically part of your argument.
If your argument turns out to have a sub-argument (see Unit VII Lesson), make sure you fill out a template for each argument. Follow the writing guidelines on pages 273 through 275 of Chapter 12 of our textbook.
Possible Topics
Questions that may help in coming up with a thesis (conclusion):
Money management
How should I manage my money? What spending habits can I change? How can I save more?
Study habits
What is the best way to study? What can I do on a daily basis to study? What can I do on a weekly basis?
Being healthy
What can I do to be healthy? What daily habits can I change?

Discussion Question(s)
What is the relationship between critical thinking and language?
Which critical thinking error do you feel is the most detrimental?
Have you found yourself falling into one of these errors? What do you think you can do to avoid the thinking error you identified?
As practitioners, reflect on moments you might have succumbed to such biases. Engaging in metacognition—thinking about your thinking—is a key strategy for improvement. Consider maintaining a reflective journal of clinical experiences to enhance your critical awareness.
Also, remember to use your research and validate your arguments.
Your initial post should include at least one in-text citation from a scholarly source in proper APA format.

Assignment Instructions
Create an infographic or table that highlights critical thinking. The infographic or table can be created in Canva, PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, or another program you are familiar with.
Include the following in your infographic or table:
A definition of critical thinking
A description of the benefits of critical thinking
A description of the barriers to critical thinking
At least 4 critical thinking skills
A minimum of one scholarly source