Critical Thinking Skills

Critical thinking happens when you pay close attention to what you hear, say and do—and think it all through carefully.  You are thinking critically when you look for things that may be clouding your judgment, explore ideas that might bring a new solution to an old problem and take responsibility for what you say and do instead of just blindly following other people.

How to Think Critically

1. To think critically, the first step is to collect information.  It’s important to make sure that the information you gather is accurate and complete—and that you don’t make snap judgments about it.
2. Once you have gathered information, the second step to critical thinking is to question your information.   It’s important not to believe everything you hear or read!
3. The third step in the critical thinking process is to use the information.  Information by itself doesn’t help us.  It’s what we do with that information that matters.

Tips for Thinking Critically

• If you think that an idea or statement isn’t logical, try to figure out why you feel that way.  Don’t just brush the idea off as unimportant!
• Being in the habit of pointing out problems is a good thing.  But, if all you do is talk about problems, it turns into complaining, not critical thinking.  To be a critical thinker, you have to work toward solving every problem that you spot.
• Remember that most arguments lead nowhere—and rarely involve critical thinking.  When people argue, they seldom listen to each other and they almost never come to a solution that solves the argument.
• Keep in mind that decisions are choices.  Making a decision involves looking at all the choices and narrowing them down to one.  Whenever you make a decision, you are practicing your critical thinking skills.
• Use your head as you document.  If you don’t think critically when documenting your client care, others may not understand what you write.  This may cause harm to the client.