Presence of the Reflective and Critical Thinking Capacity in Nursing Curricula in Iberian America.
Lucila Cárdenas-Becerril, María Antonia Jiménez-Gómez, María Dolores Bardallo-Porras and 3 others
PMID 33306904WHAT IT FOUND
Nursing curricula in eight countries claim to teach critical thinking, but 62% still rely on written exams that test memory.
The stated goal of reflective practice is rarely matched by the actual teaching and assessment methods used.
Key findings
01Reflective and critical thinking is explicitly mentioned in the mission and graduation profiles of all 189 curricula reviewed.
02Despite claims of active learning, 62% of the curricula privilege traditional written evaluation, focusing on memorized knowledge rather than application.
03There is a lack of coherence between the stated goal of developing critical thinking and the actual teaching-learning-assessment activities in most programs.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study analyzed the written curriculum (official documents), not what actually happens in classrooms. Real teaching practices may differ from the documented plans. The sample was chosen by convenience, so it may not represent all nursing programs in the region. Data collection relied on public documents or those provided by institutions, which may not be fully accessible or updated.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that because a nursing program's official documents mention critical thinking, students are actually being taught or assessed on it. The study shows a significant disconnect between stated goals and evaluation methods.