Integrative thinking and learning in undergraduate nursing education: three strategies.

This article describes three learning activities used in the undergraduate nursing degree program at a mid-sized university in northeastern Ontario, Canada. Each activity, a reflective writing assignment, scenario testing, and an OSCE experience, is considered in terms of integrative thinking. Formal and informal evaluation of the activities is also discussed.Based on the authors' experiences, integrative thinking including habits of mind and cognitive skills can be directed and enhanced. To maximize students' growth as integrative thinkers, they should be exposed to many kinds of activities that target this growth. Generally, such activities tend to be case-based and interactive in nature. They also require a level of scaffolding or directedness. To develop and implement such activities, teachers are encouraged to work with educational researchers and instructional designers.