Critical thinking is the ability of a person to doubt the displayed information, including the one given to a person at an early age, that is, taken on faith from an authority (adult). It is the most general definition of critical thinking, including many specific cases from different areas (Facione & Gittens, 2022). This definition reflects the primary meaning of critical thinking, which consists not only of the ability to argue but of the ability to build mental rows outside speech practices. Doubt as the center and foundation of thinking is well served in the philosophy of Rene Descartes, known for its anthropological dimension.
As for the heart of the matter, it is essential to define three types of thinking here: comparative, ideological, and empirical. These kinds of thinking surround modern man everywhere: in the media, daily conversations, and compelling arguments about vaccination against COVID-19. Comparative thinking is based on two or more positions that are somewhat similar to each other but somewhat different. Ideological thinking is the argumentation of personal beliefs, which are usually tied to preferences and are not supported by facts but only by emotions. Empirical thinking is the thinking of facts and the conclusions that are possible from them.
Regarding ethical and empirical decision-making, one can see a complex dialectic resolved in medicine. Nevertheless, therapy serves the benefit of people and is inextricably linked with well-being, and happiness, which is an ethical category. In this context, ethical decision-making must accompany all medical issues since people do not live outside the realm of ethics. Nevertheless, certain developments in medicine, biology, chemistry, and pharmacy have a weak ethical load, and therefore researchers more often resort to empirical arguments, completely forgetting about ethical ones. Such researchers, perhaps, also forget that their innovation should benefit people and not be valuable. The main moral problem arises in the question of benefit and pragmatics for a person.
Critical thinking helps nurses make tough decisions and take responsibility for their patients. Critical thinking allows nurses to work with all patient inputs and draw reasonable conclusions about their treatment and further rehabilitation. In addition, critical thinking helps nurses be considerate of both patients and colleagues who may need advice and support. Nurses with developed critical thinking can argue the position of treatment in front of patients and competently convey to them the meaning and importance of procedures.
Reference
Facione, P., & Gittens, C. A. (2022). Think Critically (Custom Edition). Pearson Education, Inc.