Exploring nursing education modality for facilitating undergraduate students' critical thinking: Focus group interview analysis

Abstract

Purpose: This study was conducted to explore nursing education modality for facilitating undergraduate students' critical thinking within the Korean nursing education context. Methods: Data were collected from four group interviews from two focus groups, which were composed of six nursing professors in each group. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Five themes with 13 sub-themes involving 10 categories were delineated. The five themes were managing shared resources, a supportive system in preparing qualified faculty, reflective thinking (self-directed learning), theory courses for understanding nursing resources, and clinical practicum for exercising critical thinking. Conclusion: A nursing educational model for facilitating critical thinking within Korean context was suggested. This could be used as an accelerator in developing nursing undergraduate course programs for critical thinking in Korea. © 2013 Korean Society of Adult Nursing.