In order to define critical thinking, I would say that it reflects an objective exploration of an issue so as to present particular judgments at the end. Based on my understanding of critical thinking, I definitely believe that I need a change to build more consistent models of thinking and processing information. For instance, my nursing practice has helped me realize the importance to apply critical thinking skills in clinical settings (Rubenfeld & Scheffer, 2015). Such type of thinking is a relevant step toward achieving adequate patient outcomes. It is important to help patients attain significant balance in their lives by providing them with the most proper treatment plan.
The integration of particular theories actually helps individuals understand better the person-environment interaction. In this way, consciousness represents the interconnectedness of the human living system. It is required that individuals adopt a broader and more holistic perspective into health in an attempt to frame various health care services, as these aspects can be adequately supported through optimal intelligence and critical thinking skills (Picard & Jones, 2005). Human consciousness emerges as an important element of ensuring solid care and distinct solutions to problems encountered by individuals. The fact that human beings are connected to the larger universe is indicative of the necessity to consider the person-environment interaction in its wholeness.
From this perspective, people should not consider health and illness as part of a continuum. In fact, illness appears as an inseparable part of the mentioned interaction between individuals and their environment. This means that the relationship occurring between nurses and patients lacks any fragmentation. The mentioned relationship reflects the importance of encouraging different patterns that exist in a person’s experiences (Rubenfeld & Scheffer, 2015). The state of health and human expanding consciousness are among the most important patterns. Therefore, it can be argued that illness has not the capacity to diminish individuals. The major role and responsibility of nurses throughout the process is to assist patients to understand the specificity of the respective evolving patterns; that is why it is important to change my way of thinking in a direction of becoming more patient-centered.
In this context, patients turn out to be transformed in this interactive process. Nurses demonstrate their responsibility to maintain adequate dialogue with patients about events found most significant to them. Thus, nurses create flexible opportunities for reflection and insights, as this process is directly linked with the necessity to change the direction of critical thinking. In this way, individuals are free enough to express their views and perspectives on the care process (Picard & Jones, 2005). They soon understand that the process of identifying certain patterns in life is associated with the important idea that patterns have the ability to affect health, which further leads to the expansion of consciousness.
Undoubtedly, it is essential to synthesize ideas from non-nursing theories, such as that of integral theory, with the nursing theory of Margaret Newman. Integral theory incorporates certain aspects from the science and art of nursing in order to present comprehensive solutions to individuals encountering particular problems (Newman, 1999). The way in which integral theory and the theory of Newman can relate is through the organization of multiple phenomena of human experience and reality from different individual and collective perspectives. The incorporation of ideas from these theories is possible, and it actually reflects the ideas of holistic nursing practice. While integral theory introduces an integral worldview dominated by specific values and beliefs that can be applied in the nursing field, the theory of Newman emphasizes the extensive potential of human consciousness and critical thinking in the sense of helping individuals transform their negative experiences.
Even though nursing and non-nursing theories may demonstrate certain inconsistencies, it is important to handle them in a professional manner by implementing a holistic approach to nursing. Therefore, one of the steps I will take to change my thinking is to try more to understand the specificity of my nursing profession. This means that I will perceive myself as an agent of change with new possibilities to strengthen human capacities for interaction. In fact, integral theory can be implemented with other nursing and non-nursing theories because of its multidimensional nature (Rubenfeld & Scheffer, 2015).
An integral understanding would enable me with an opportunity to comprehend the specific aspects of the complex human nature. This means that I can bring my critical thinking skills and compassion to the world, which may further strengthen the foundation of health care services. The complexity of the nursing profession is evident, and thus I should expand my consciousness toward a comprehensive philosophy of nursing (Newman, 1999). It is fundamental that I am extensively empowered to demonstrate the relevance of healing knowledge as well as the importance of various approaches to traditional nursing and health care.
Collaborative practice in providing health care services to individuals is at the core of humanistic, integral nursing dominated by the idea of the expanding consciousness and strengthening critical thinking skills. Moreover, it is important to keep in mind that integral theory facilitates an integral understanding of individuals as having distinct energy fields. This can be compared with the view outlined by Newman in regards to the possibilities of the expanding human consciousness (Picard & Jones, 2005). The incorporation of nursing and non-nursing theories is valuable because the process of attaining integral health reflects adequate personal growth and collective understanding of specific dimensions of human interaction. If I consistently adhere to these principles in my nursing practice, I believe that my change process would be adequately facilitated.
