Do current educational programs address critical thinking in nurse anesthesia?

Critical thinking skills are vital in any of the nursing and medical specialties. These skills can be taught using adult teaching methods and should be incorporated into all courses in the educational process. Unfortunately, some nurse anesthesia programs fail to adequately address critical thinking or the use of these skills. They often teach using rigidly structured models. This descriptive study surveyed nurse anesthesia students (n = 197) and faculty members (n = 128) from 32 schools of nurse anesthesia. It was undertaken to determine the effect of using adult education principles on student satisfaction. Participants completed a survey that was designed by the investigator to determine individual perceptions of the program's teaching style, personal teaching and learning style preference, and, in the case of the students, satisfaction. Results of this study suggest that anesthesia students are more satisfied if they are approached as adult learners. Critical thinking, a vital component of nurse anesthesia practice, is also reinforced by these same teaching methods.