The Critical Thinker and Culture

The full of life Thinker and finishing R. Steve Terry Ameri do-nothing Sentinel University BSN 43611-A May 30, 2011 Marg atomic number 18t Lowenthal Abstract Using the textbook Rubenfeld, M. G. & Scheffer, B. K. (2010). Critical Thinking maneuver for Nurses Achieving the IOM Competencies, 2nd Ed. Boston J unriv all in alleds and Bartlett Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7637-6584 Using the checklist in Box 3-2, reflect on your culture and how it readiness affect your critical thinking habits of the mind. Then think of someone you work with who comes from a culture polar from yours. Think of a patient from a different culture.How do you think those persons would answer the questions? Introduction taken directly from my first paper, . Thinking as a Critical Thinker Critical thinking is something we do every day in our nurse jobs, and yet we dont target names to the parts and pieces of fairish what it is we atomic number 18 doing while making those decisions. Reading the first two chapt ers of our text book has opened my eyes, not still to what I do on a daily basis, but has given me insight on how to sectionalization the process of critical thinking into manageable parts, with definitions for each phase.This breakdown of the process will not more thanover help me in my day-to-day duties but will similarly help me communicate the process more easily to my peers. Now what would happen to the critical brain when you add his or her cultural aspects to the way they put together and analyze their information gathered as that critical thinker? Do you think the influences of ones upbringing may enhance or impair critical thinking in the nursing field? Lets start out by investigating my culture of youth where I was born into the Appalachian area of West Virginian.Appalachian Culture Appalachian is a land of racy mountains and green forests, abundant springs and rivers, varied plants, animal and bird life. Its Cumberland range is big coal mining country. Its farms ar e customsally small operations. The area to which you will be traveling is one of rich history and tradition (Commission on Religion of Appalachia, 1992). Being brought up in West Virginia, I have many memories of a style of living that my grandparents and their parents taught me about.One of the funniest traditions we have is a scruple of doctors. Where Im from in in the south Central, West Virginia, sight only go to the hospital to die. Its my belief that this came about beca occasion most people from the hills only made it to the hospital at the last stages of disease so it was felt it was the last situation to go before one dies. And this is not just in West Virginia its in all the Appalachian area. The geographic boundaries of Appalachia include portions of 13 states, reaching from southern New York to northern Mississippi.It contains 398 counties in the hobby states Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Car olina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. West Virginia is the only state that the kingdom completely covers. The region is rural and urban, rich and poor (Frank S. Riddel, ed, 1984). Process of Learning Trust If you had asked me what critical thinking was before today, I would have probably explained in terms that resembled the nursing process, because that is what I have been educated about for cardinal years but, dont think its been easy for me.On the contrary, because of my cultural upbringing and the distrust in medicine that has long plagued not only Appalachia but my family as well, it was very difficult in the beginning of my nursing career to learn the subtle truths about creating a trust atmosphere amid myself and members of my cultural confederation. According to Rubenfield and Sheffer, critical thinking is the metaphorical bridge between information and action (Rubenfield & Scheffer, 2010).Thats exactly what it has been for me, a bridge to bring trust to members of my community. One of the biggest areas of difference in Appalachia and most other cultural areas is the distrust of anything that is outside of the community (Frank S. Riddel, ed, 1984). I believe as a critical thinker that knowing this has helped me understand how to communicate trust to this community and by knowing first the culture of my community it has helped me discern areas that I can control and areas that I cannot.I know to use the habits of confidence and perseverance to reckon with my community to build trust, because these are areas that my culture sees as important, although they live in present tense at most times, I feel that I can help them understand, the tomorrow, if not getting treatment today type of concept. Conclusion Culture is just one of many aspects one must consider before jumping to any conclusions about communication. This is also true about critical thinking. This is wherefore flexibility, open-mindedness and perseverance are such import parts of the Critical Thinking habits of the mind.Without them we may decide to just give up because we dont understand why someone may not understand our end goals and why we want to help them. References Commission on Religion in Appalachia, Economic transformation The Appalachian Challenge(Knoxville, TN C. O. R. A. , 1992). Frank S. Riddel, ed. , Appalachia Its People, Heritage and Problems (Dubuque, IA Kendall/Hunt publishing Company, 1984), xi. Rubenfeld, M. G. & Scheffer, B. K. (2010). Critical Thinking Tactics for Nurses Achieving the IOM Competencies, 2nd Ed. Boston Jones and Bartlett Publishers.