The Growth Trajectory Model of Critical Thinking and Professional Self-Concept in College-level Nursing Students

• Main Authors: Chang, Yi-Chuan, 張怡娟
• Other Authors: Yeh, Mei-Ling
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2015
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/90993371345770508286

博士 === 國立臺北護理健康大學 === 護理研究所 === 103 === The purposes of this study were (1) to measure the critical thinking dispositions, critical thinking skills and professional self-concept of nursing students as well as to explore the related factors, and (2) to explore those factors with the growth trajectory model. The design of this study was a combination of cross-sectional and longitudinal methods. For the cross-sectional research, 20 students each were selected by simple random sampling from every nursing class of the two-year and four-year college programs at a technological university in southern Taiwan. For the longitudinal research, progress was measured at five temporal points until the students graduated. SPSS 20.0 for Windows was used for data analysis, which included descriptive and inference statistics. The hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) was used for analysis of the growth trajectory model. The results revealed that a significant positive relationship between critical thinking dispositions and skills (r=0.15 p< .01) as well as between critical thinking dispositions and professional self-concept (r=0.29, p< .001) of those nursing students. Professional self-concept (β=0.37, p= .01), program (β=6.70, p< .01) and class (β=-7.85, p= .01) contributed to the growth trajectory model of the critical thinking dispositions in the initial status and developing rate. Program (β=-1.83, p= .03) contributed to the growth trajectory model of the critical thinking skills in the initial status and developing rate. Critical thinking dispositions (β=0.08, p< .001) and time (β=0.98, p< .01) could moderate the growth trajectory model of the professional self-concept. Based on the results of this study, course teachers and internship instructors can provide assistance to develop students’ critical thinking and professional self-concept according to their stage of development. This study suggests that the authority re-evaluate the context of nursing education, and apply multiple teaching strategies and evaluation methods to improve students’ critical thinking and professional self-concept in order for nursing students to perform professional assessment and judgment with confidence and offer high quality nursing care.