This study determined whether teaching intervention using the outcome-present state test (OPT) clinical reasoning model can effectively improve critical thinking in nursing students during a psychiatry internship. In addition, it evaluates the experiences of the students using this model in clinical practice.
Methods: In this interventional study, 19 students were taught critical thinking skills using the OPT clinical reasoning model during a psychiatry clinical practice. Work-learning forms were used in daily 1 h individual and group discussions with students. The critical thinking disposition scale was completed by every student before and after the intervention. Moreover, the students were asked to the complete reflection experience forms.
Results: The average critical thinking disposition pre-intervention score was 95.21, whereas the average post-intervention score was 97.05, indicating an increase of 1.84. There was a significant increase in the fourth dimension of open-mindedness (z = -2.80, p < 0.01). The learning experience has been likened to a process of clearing the fog, and it involves the use of limited known conditions, thinking outside the box, and adaptation to complex care issues.
Conclusion: Using the OPT clinical reasoning model as a teaching strategy during a psychiatric nursing internship significantly improved the open-mindedness dimension among the students. The student reflective experience of talking to teachers as peers helped students identify clues and reframe problems related to clinical care. Additionally, the students reported that this led to more harmonious interactions with their teachers.
Keywords: critical thinking; mixed study; outcome-present state test model.