Abstract:
Background: Critical thinking and clinical judgment in nursing has been accentuated in response to the rapidly changing health care environment. Nurses must think critically and clinically judgment to provide quality of care and coping with the expansion in role associated with the complexities of current health care systems. Aim of the study: to assess critical thinking and clinical judgment skills for baccalaureate nursing students in EL-Minia University. Methodology: The study was developed within descriptive approach. Setting: The study was carried out at Faculty of Nursing in EL-Minia University. Subject: All Baccalaureate nursing students at Faculty of Nursing in EL-Minia University in the academic year 2010/2011 with total number (n=105). Tools of study: The study tools were two the first tool for critical thinking consisted of two parts 1st part related to socio demographic characteristics sheet &2ndpart was the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI), Second tool for clinical judgment. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between demographic characteristics (sex& residence) with critical thinking and clinical judgment items. Conclusions: The rate of urban and male student nurses were had high level in the total score of critical thinking. Moreover , rate of rural and female student nurses were had middle to high level in the total score of clinical judgment. Recommendations: Attending of nursing teachers a training program about how to identifying teaching strategies needed and how to use these strategies in effective ways for the development of critical thinking and clinical judgment skills for nursing students.