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CHAPTER 5

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter presents the summary of the findings, conclusions and

recommendations made by the researchers based on the foregoing findings. All the

data were gathered from 50 selected nursing students of level III in Siena College

that were selected from sections A and B which was the center of evaluating critical

thinking skills application.

Summary of Findings

1. Demographic Profile of the Respondents

A. Age.

41 or 82 % of the respondents are aged 19-20 years old while 8 or 16 % of

them belonged to the age bracket of 21-22 years old; only 1 or 4 percent
aged 23 years and above.
B. Sex.

70 % of the respondents were female and the rest belong to the male group.

C. Civil Status.

Most of the respondents were single equating to 98 % while only 2 % one

respondent was married comprising 2%.

D. Type of School Last Attended.

It is noted that 90 % of the respondents were graduates of private high

schools while only 5 or 10 % attended schools managed by the government.

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2. Respondents’ Perception on the Application of their Critical Thinking Skills

in the Clinical Area.

Table 8 shows that the respondents believed that they always apply

their critical thinking skills in the clinical area which means that the

respondents are critical thinkers in doing nursing care to their patients. It is

also shown on table 8 the areas evaluated by the researchers on the

application of the respondents’ critical thinking in the clinical area. Ranked

first is the Thinking Ahead which means that the respondents have the

ability to think ahead, and therefore be more prepared for unforeseen events

and situations. On its clinical criteria, “I prepare materials/equipment

needed for a certain procedure” ranked first with a verbal interpretation of

“Always”, which may mean that they have mastered what are the

equipments used in every procedures and its functions. “I formulate

objectives of care in consideration of the physical, psychological and

spiritual aspects of patients in time appropriate for the emergency situation”

with a verbal interpretation of “Sometimes” is the weakest point of the

respondents. It may mean that they are having a little difficulty in

immediate situation to make a plan of care to the patients. This is followed

closely by the thinking in action of the respondents. This shows the

presence of mind of the respondents once they are already doing what they

are expected to do. In its clinical criteria, “I communicate patient’s needs

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among members of health team” ranked first with a verbal interpretation of

“Always”, which means that the respondents develop good collaborative

skills towards their health team in dealing care with their patients while last

in the rank was “I identify potential untoward effect of the

procedure/medication to the patient” with a verbal interpretation of

“Sometimes”. Ranked third is the ability of the respondents to think back

and analyzed what they have just done. Under its clinical criteria, “I provide

health-teaching appropriately and effectively” ranked first with a verbal

interpretation of “Always”, while “I evaluate patient’s condition prior to

discharge” and “I recognize superiority and recognize needs of members of

the health team” both ranked last and were verbally interpreted as

“Always”.

3. Significance of the Relationship of the Respondents’ Perception on their

Critical Thinking Skills and its Application in the Clinical Area and their

Demographic Profile.

The relationship of the respondents’ perception on the application of their

critical thinking skills on the clinical area with regards to their

demographics shows no significance. The hypothesis is therefore accepted.

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Conclusions

Based on the foregoing findings, the researchers concluded that:

1. During the time study was conducted, most of the respondents were

compromised of female whose ages range from 19-20 years old, single and

high school graduates of private educational institutions.

2. It is not on the age that one can determine the level of critical thinking skills

but through experience one encounter in daily lives.

3. Education at private institutions can help improve critical thinking skills

and experienced of the students.

4. That they “always” use their critical thinking skill in the clinical area which

enables them to give quality health care to their patients. During the times

they are applying their critical thinking skills, they are most likely to

anticipate and prepare for an unforeseen situation. They have a presence of

mind while doing a procedure or giving care to their patients and they think

back and analyze the procedure done or care given.

5. That the respondents “always” prepare materials/equipment needed for a

certain procedure and they “sometimes” formulate objectives of care in

consideration with the physical, psychological and spiritual aspects of

patients in time appropriate for the emergency situation during assessment

in clients’ care.
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6. During nursing intervention, the respondents usually communicate patient’s

needs among members of health team and seldom identify potential

untoward effect of the procedure/medication to the patient.

7. Respondents “always” apply their critical thinking skills when assessing,

diagnosing and planning care to the patients. They have effective critical

thinking skills which provide a quality nursing care to the patients and

prevent in committing negligence or error.

8. The selected nursing students of Siena College Taytay have enough

knowledge on how to interact with their patients regarding giving

information on continuing self-care when at home and made necessary

recommendations to improve health and prevent recurrence of illness.

9. There is an effective teaching from the professors and clinical instructors.

10. There is a relationship between the respondents’ perception on their critical

thinking skills applied in the clinical area with respect to their demographic

profile but is not significant enough to affect their critical thinking skill.

Recommendations

Based on the data and findings in this study, the researchers have the

following recommendations to further enhance the critical thinking skills of the

students:

1. To the school Administrators, they can provide their students challenging

academic activities especially in health care and pharmacology that will further
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enhance and emphasize the critical thinking skills for its application in the clinical

area. They can also make more enhancement to the laboratory rooms and

equipments which they could use to train and improve more the nursing students’

critical skills so that they can be more prepared and ready when doing procedures

in the clinical area; and develop more problems that could be used in examination

to test, evaluate and to improve more the critical thinking skills of the students.

Lastly, they can conduct a tour related to nursing profession especially in giving

and adding information on the knowledge of the students especially about clinical

practice and medicines.

2. To the faculty of nursing, they can facilitate more conferences or active

discussions encouraging question and answer in the classroom which helps greatly

to improve the thinking skills of the students. They should include in their

discussion on how to formulate objectives of care to patient and possible effects of

every procedures or medications to the patients which is the weakest points of the

respondents based on the result conducted in the survey and encourage the students

to analyze first before executing is also recommended. A problem based

examination at the end of each discussion is recommended to measure the

knowledge of the students. Constructive and positive criticism in a tactful manner

and positive feedback are also recommended.

3. To the clinical instructors, they can have group discussions at the beginning

of the duty concerning the problems of the patients, its medications and side effects
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and also asking questions about it. They can encourage the nursing students to

create realistic NCP and add it to their group discussion. They should persuade

their students to give their fullest care and perform all what have learned in dealing

care with their assigned patients so that they can assess the students how far he/she

learned. They can also make an everyday journal and drug study and discuss what

they have learned and the nursing responsibility that they should apply. Lastly, at

the end of duty, they can have a case presentation and examination to evaluate what

students have learned, and there should be an objective and subjective open

evaluation at the end of each duty in every clinical area.

4. To the nursing students, they should construct a realistic nursing care plan

before each duty, reading books related to their studies ahead and make it as their

hobby which provides them knowledge and can be used to enhance their critical

thinking, doing research and being active during class discussion. They should have

enough time for studying especially with regards to the effects of medications and

procedures which appear lowest in their critical criteria in the conducted study. In

the clinical area, they should maximize their time to practice and apply what they

have learned and use their opportunities to perform every procedure that they

encounter. They can also conduct a seminar regarding critical thinking skills,

pharmacology, how to improve more their effective nursing care plan and having a

good collaboration techniques towards health teams.

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5. To future researchers, they can conduct a follow-up study utilizing other

variables and other statistical analyses and adding more respondents with equal

frequency to further determine the results of the conducted study. They should also

try to test not only whether respondents perception are significantly associated with

their profile or not, but their differences as well.