how do vets use critical thinking

• Publications

Sheep No More: Apply Critical Thinking to the Veterinary Nursing Process

As technicians, following directions is part of the job. Mindlessly carrying out orders is not. Veteran technician Megan Brashear shares how analyzing information to make informed decisions can take you from compliant to competent.

If you desire to advance veterinary nursing on both a personal and professional level, Megan Brashear, CVT, VTS (ECC), a small animal hospital veterinary nursing manager at Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine in West Lafayette, Indiana, has a word of advice for you (OK, 4 words to be exact): Don’t be a sheep. Sheep are known for being mindless followers, Brashear explained at this year’s American Veterinary Medical Association Virtual Convention. “That’s fine for sheep, but not for veterinary technicians.”

Brashear’s solution? Critical thinking. It’s what will take you from simply following directions, to fully understanding what your patient needs and how what you’re doing best meets those needs. It’s the difference between saying, “I’m giving the patient this medication because I was told to,” versus “I’m giving the patient this medication because I know what’s wrong. I know how it’s going to help. I know how to calculate what he needs and how to administer it, and I know the adverse effects to watch for after administration.”

A Crash Course in Critical Thinking

Brashear explained that critical thinking encompasses more than just the knowledge you gain from lectures, books, and journals. It also includes the knowledge you get through experience (via your patients and if you have your own pet) and by asking questions.

“Critical thinking is the ability to take what you’ve learned and adapt it to what’s happening,” she said. “We all know that medicine, for the most part, follows a kind of pattern: This animal has this disease process so this is how we’re going to treat it. But not every animal reads the textbook. Not every disease is going to show up in the same way in every patient.” The critical thinker can look at such situations, recognize that the usual checklist won’t work, and apply their collective knowledge and experience to appropriately respond.

“Critical thinking means triaging each and every patient,” Brashear said. “Get to the point where you have a baseline expectation for what a patient should look like, and when they don't meet that expectation, figure out why.” Don’t just look at your treatment sheet, complete the bare minimum, and walk away. Approach your patient thinking about what their heart and respiratory rates should be, what their blood pressure should be, what their gums should look like, etc. And if something is outside the norm, do something. “Younger technicians are often afraid to get a temperature or a blood pressure because it wasn’t ordered by the veterinarian,” she continued, “But those types of things—that’s what we’re entrusted to do.”

If this sounds a bit out of your scope—especially if you’re new to the profession—that’s OK. “Critical thinking is a skill, like drawing blood and placing catheters,” Brashear said. “We have to practice getting into the mode of thinking about what’s happening, asking questions, and learning more so we can continue to progress in our careers and help our patients.”

Applying Critical Thinking to the Nursing Process

“The nursing process is utilized much more frequently in human medicine, but there’s no reason we shouldn’t use it as well, especially with critically ill patients,” said Brashear, explaining that the process breaks down into 5 steps.

This step involves data collection. Assessment is when you put your hands on the patient and perform a physical exam. This is when you’re looking at the big picture and gathering as much information as you can. “This step also encompasses rounds,” she added. “Yes, we’re going to discuss a little bit about the disease process, but we’re not going to go through every blood chemistry result and how many lymphocytes the animal has unless it directly pertains to what’s wrong.” What’s more helpful, said Brashear, is to ask questions that will help you achieve continuity of care. For example, does the dog prefer to be hand-fed? Is he more comfortable urinating on pebbles or grass? Is this normal breathing for him?

Because Brashear is a technician, she can’t make a diagnosis. However, she can contribute to it. “I can put my hand on that cat’s giant bladder and say, ‘I’m concerned. This cat has a history and physical exam that support urinary tract obstruction. I think we should probably take a look at them quickly.’ And I may not be able to diagnose a dog with a pneumothorax by looking at its lateral chest radiograph…but I can definitely take note that the heart is floating up in the chest, instead of sitting in the sternum like it should be. I can then take that dog off the table, knock on the exam room door, and say, ‘I think we need to look at this dog before things get significantly worse,’” she explained. The analysis step is about more than just writing down your patient’s stats and then walking away. Think through what you’re seeing, and bring any concerns to the veterinarian’s attention.

Plan and Prioritize

Brashear has worked in emergency veterinary medicine for over 20 years, so she knows all too well what it’s like to receive a long list of orders from the doctor in no particular order. Determining the best way to tackle that list is what this step is all about. “Let’s say you have 4 patients and they all need treatments,” Brashear posited. “A cat needs Lasix, a dog needs blood drawn, another cat needs radiographs, etc. What’s the most important thing? I’m going to argue that the poor cat who needs a Lasix injection should go first.” Once again, she stressed that this kind of critical thinking isn’t innate. If you’re new to nursing, just ask the doctor if there’s an order in which they’d like the list completed.

This step is Brashear’s favorite because it’s when you get to perform nursing care by following the prioritized plan you just developed. However, she noted that you may need to run your plan by someone else first. For example, you might need to get your team of technicians together and make sure everyone knows their respective roles in completing the to-do list.

“We want to make sure we’re evaluating how things went,” explained Brashear. “Did everything go according to plan? Did everything that needed to get done get done? Did our patients respond the way we needed them to? How is my team doing?” Assessing and communicating about how both your patients and your team members are doing are important, she noted. For example, perhaps one of your coworkers bonded with a patient who has to be euthanized. The rest of the team may need to rally around that technician and provide extra support for the rest of the day.

At the end of this process, you have more experience to put to use for the next patient when you start back at the beginning.

Be a Flight Attendant

Sheep may be poor role models for veterinary technicians, but according to Brashear, flight attendants are worthy of emulating. “Think about the stress you project at work. We need to remember that our patients really feed off of us and what we’re doing and how we’re behaving,” she explained. “I’m sure everyone knows a technician who gets a cat bite 4 or 5 times a year [and] you know when that technician has worked because every kennel has a “Will bite!” or caution sign.” As they try to get everything done at once, these technicians tend to exhibit anxious, fast movements and little patience, which is then reflected in the emotional state of the animals.

What the treatment area needs, said Brashear, is flight attendants. “Like anyone, I get nervous during turbulence,” she continued. “Any time it happens, I look for flight attendants. If they’re walking up and down the aisles with their beverage carts, pouring drinks, I’m fine because they’re fine. But if I see the flight attendants running down the aisle and clicking themselves into their 5-point harnesses, I’m going to be a little more nervous and grip the armrests tighter.”

The moral of this story? “Be the flight attendant who’s calmly passing out Diet Coke to all of your patients and helping them realize that all is OK,” Brashear said. “If you’re constantly running from one thing to another and visibly exhausted and overwhelmed, you’ll pass that anxiety over to your patients. Critical thinking isn’t just about understanding medicine. It includes understanding the behavior patterns of your patients, understanding what your clients need, and understanding what your teammates need.”

Sarah Mouton Dowdy, a former associate content specialist for dvm360.com, is a freelance writer and editor in Kansas City, Missouri.

Short film highlights mental health struggles in veterinary medicine

The Dog is a fictional story featuring actress Kate Walsh as an overworked veterinarian over a 24-hour period with challenges that include a power outage and an ethical dilemma.

5 things new graduates should know

New graduates entering the veterinary profession should carefully consider the type of clinic they choose to work at for the first few years of their career

Association of Shelter Veterinarians honors 2 veterinarians

The professional organization named the 2024 Veterinarian of the Year and the Meritorious Service Award recipient

Training plans – activity stacking that doesn’t involve the kitchen sink

Learn how effective training through skill stacking can ensure balanced workloads for trainers and trainees, fostering a positive onboarding experience, and long-term success for new hires.

Survey results show the current state of the veterinary profession

New data reveals how veterinarians feel about the industry and the challenges they face

3 must-reads for World Veterinary Day

In celebration of World Veterinary Day, here are multiple veterinary professionals making a difference in the industry

2 Commerce Drive Cranbury, NJ 08512

609-716-7777

• Anesthesiology
• Clinical Pathology
• Dermatology
• Diagnostics
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Emergency Medicine/Critical Care

• Endocrinology
• Equine Medicine
• Ethics/Welfare
• Exotic Medicine
• Gastroenterology
• Infectious Disease
• Integrative Medicine
• Internal Medicine
• Ophthalmology
• Orthopedics
• Pain Management
• Parasitology
• Personal Wellbeing

Personal/Professional Development

• Practice Management
• Preventive Medicine
• Public Health
• Radiology/Imaging
• Rehabilitation
• Respiratory Medicine
• Soft Tissue Surgery
• Urology & Renal Medicine
• Wound Management
• Best Behavior
• Career Advancement
• Career Challenges
• Career Explorations
• Case Reports
• Clinic Champions
• Dollars and Sense
• Editor's Letter
• Enhancing Workplace Culture
• Final Thoughts
• From the Field
• In Case of Emergency
• Movement is Medicine
• NAVTA Corner
• Nutrition Notes
• Pests and Parasites
• Q&A: Emerging Topics
• Skills Check
• Specialty Spotlight
• Trends in Veterinary Nursing
• Vaccination Insights
• What Moves You?
• Zoonotic Risks
• Clinic Resources
• Career Kickoff Guide
• For Pet Owners
• Publication Standards
• Advertising Opportunities
• Subscription Support
• Current Issue
• Past Issues

Critical Thinking in Veterinary Trauma Care

November 19, 2019 | 

Issue: Winter 2020

Megan Brashear

BS, RVT, VTS (ECC)

Megan graduated in 2000 with a BS degree in Veterinary Technology. She has enjoyed working in emergency and critical care since 2000 and is currently the Small Animal Veterinary Nursing Manager at the Purdue University Veterinary Teaching Hospital in West Lafayette, Indiana, where she oversees the technician supervisors as well as teaches and trains technicians and students on the hospital floor. She loves the opportunity to travel and lecture, sharing her knowledge with veterinary nurses and technicians around the world.

Trauma is a common event in veterinary hospitals and can result from a number of sources. Not every trauma patient is the same and the veterinary nursing team must be ready to anticipate patient changes and treatment orders. At presentation and throughout hospitalization, quick reactions are required of the veterinary nursing team to respond properly to the patient. Rapid decision making can save lives. This quick and accurate response requires critical thinking skills.

What Is Critical Thinking?

In human health care, critical thinking in nursing has been defined this way: “Critical thinkers in nursing exhibit these habits of the mind: confidence, contextual perspective, creativity, flexibility, inquisitiveness, intellectual integrity, intuition, open-mindedness, perseverance, and reflection. Critical thinkers in nursing practice the cognitive skills of analyzing, applying standards, discriminating, information seeking, logical reasoning, predicting, and transforming knowledge.” 1

That’s a lot for a veterinary nurse to apply in a trauma care situation, but a veterinary nurse with critical thinking skills can adapt to new situations and determine solutions even when faced with unfamiliar information. In school, the emphasis is on memorizing facts and reciting them back on a test. With real patients, the answer is never that simple. In the veterinary hospital, multidimensional critical thinking is a vital skill that veterinary nurses should be practicing and perfecting every day. Developing these skills involves having a solid base in academic knowledge, asking intelligent questions of those more experienced, and benefiting from the lessons learned during past trauma care events.

First Steps

When a critical trauma patient presents to the hospital, the veterinary nursing team must quickly assess the patient and determine first steps. Acute traumatic coagulopathy (ATC) in severe trauma patients can be the result of loss of clotting factors due to bleeding, dysfunction of clotting factors, or hemodilution of clotting factors resulting from fluid resuscitation. The “trauma triad of death”—coagulopathy, hypothermia, and acidosis resulting from hemorrhage—can cause mortality in trauma patients. 2 This triad of conditions can occur in polytrauma patients and contributes to a more severe disease process. The key to the patient’s survival is quick recognition of these factors and mitigating the effects on the patient. Acidosis can result from hypoperfusion and elevated lactate, respiratory malfunction leading to respiratory acidosis, and decreased cardiac output. We know that hypothermia decreases platelet function and white blood cell function, decreases cardiac output, decreases oxygen delivery to tissues, and causes a decreased response to catecholamines. Trauma patients must be kept warm, and veterinary nurses should consider covering and warming normothermic trauma patients as they present to the hospital, knowing that treatment with fluids and pain management can reduce body temperature.

Systemic inflammation, metabolic acidosis, hypothermia, and hemodilution from fluid resuscitation are all factors that will hinder therapeutic efforts to treat trauma patients. While veterinary team members cannot determine whether a patient presents with acidosis or systemic inflammation, these are important factors to remember and mitigate as much as possible in the treatment phase. 2

“In the veterinary hospital, multidimensional critical thinking is a vital skill that veterinary nurses should be practicing and perfecting every day.” googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-mr-inarticle-7'); });

With any trauma patient that presents to the hospital with uncontrolled bleeding, the first step in treatment must be to control hemostasis. Compress what can be compressed on the distal limbs and tail using bandages and tourniquets if necessary. If the source of bleeding is internal, as is common in vehicular trauma, intervene with therapy specific to controlling the bleeding. Abdominal wraps can be helpful to not only control hemoabdomen, but also to improve venous return and blood pressure. If the patient is not responding to treatment attempts to control bleeding, surgery must be considered before bleeding truly cannot be controlled. 3

The next step in treating bleeding trauma patients is fluid resuscitation, but choosing the appropriate fluid therapy requires assessing the clinical signs and needs of the patient balanced with the knowledge of different fluid types. Being prepared for complications will allow the patient the best prognosis. With trauma, large volume resuscitation during uncontrolled bleeding can worsen symptoms. Crystalloid fluids and even blood components like packed red blood cells (PRBC) will work against the body’s ability to perform normal coagulation. It is important to understand the controversy currently surrounding the use of synthetic colloids in veterinary medicine related to kidney function; they are known to interfere with platelet function and coagulation. Our idea of large volume resuscitation comes from studies done on animals that suffered from controlled single source bleeding, and large volumes of fluids successfully treated these animals. 3 We know that large volumes of crystalloid fluids can lead to increased gut permeability, an increased inflammatory response, and increased incidence of coagulopathy. Fluids should be administered with thought and not always to a full 90 mL/kg shock dose. Large volumes of crystalloid fluids administered over a short period of time will result in increased cardiac output, but remember that a vast percentage of fluids will shift from the intravascular space into the interstitial space after about 30 minutes, necessitating the need for more volume, leading to further hemodilution and possibly hemorrhage. 3

Human studies, especially battlefield trauma studies, have led to guidelines for damage control resuscitation. 4 Less fluid resuscitation can lead to reduced hemorrhage, less acidemia, and less cellular injury. In cases of uncontrolled hemorrhage as the result of trauma, regardless of a diagnosis or suspicion of ATC, damage control resuscitation (also known as hypotensive resuscitation) should be utilized and the entire medical team be aware of the treatment goals. Hypotensive resuscitation requires that patients only receive fluids to minimally acceptable blood pressure parameters. Fluids are administered to a blood pressure target of 80-90 mm Hg systolic, and/or a mean arterial pressure (MAP) of 60 mm Hg. In controlled studies of dogs, a MAP of under 50 mm Hg and a systolic reading under 80 mm Hg for less than 60 to 90 minutes may not cause permanent damage, which tells us that careful fluid administration can be achieved. During resuscitation, pulse quality can be palpated and pulse quality compared over time as fluids are administered. It is worth noting that pulse pressure does not equal blood pressure, and standard of care dictates that if at all possible, blood pressure monitoring is performed. Veterinary nurses must be aware of the reasons for hypotensive resuscitation and monitor patients closely for blood pressure changes. With close monitoring, patients can have fluids titrated to exact effect. 3

Blood products can and should be utilized in damage control resuscitation. Warm, fresh, whole blood is the best choice for ideal results, but it is not readily available in most veterinary settings. Packed red blood cells and fresh frozen plasma (FFP) can be used, and best results are gained if the FFP:PRBC ratio is 1:2 or 1:3. If the patient is bleeding into the chest or abdomen, autotransfusion is a viable option for resuscitation. While this option does run the risk of infusing bacteria or urine in the case of bowel or bladder rupture with hemoabdomen, the patient is not at risk for suffering a hypersensitivity reaction to the transfusion. All blood removed for the purpose of autotransfusion must be run back to the patient utilizing an appropriate blood filter. 3

Monitoring the Patient

In the clinical setting, veterinary nurses are expected to closely monitor patients and alert the veterinarian to any change, and should also be aware of complex disease processes and know the signs of change. Understanding the dangerous development of coagulopathies post-trauma can direct veterinary nurses to monitor closely for signs of bleeding. Understanding systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) can help a veterinary nurse look for signs of early respiratory compromise of a coagulopathy. Critical thinking involves planning ahead for procedures and keeping one step ahead of changing disease processes in critical trauma patients.

Veterinary nursing requires more than simply checking off boxes on treatment sheets; it involves thinking through the reasons for and the expectations from each treatment performed. Veterinary nurses must learn to think critically with every patient interaction. They must identify patient needs, prioritize competing tasks, and avoid errors in order to save patients’ lives.

1. Scheffer BK, Rubenfeld MG. A consensus statement on critical thinking in nursing. J Nurs Educ 2000;39(8):352-60.

2. Abelson AL, O’Toole TE, Johnston A, et al. Hypoperfusion and acute traumatic coagulopathy in severely traumatized canine patients. J Vet Emerg Crit Care 2013;23(4):395-401.

3. Palmer L, Martin L. Traumatic coagulopathy-part 2: resuscitative strategies. J Vet Emerg Crit Care 2014;24(1):75-92.

4. Cap AP, Pidcoke HF, Spinella P, et al. Damage control resuscitation. Mil Med 2018;183(suppl_2):36-43.

Suggested Reading

Holowaychuk MK, Hanel RM, Wood RD, et al. Prospective multicenter evaluation of coagulation abnormalities in dogs following severe acute trauma. J Vet Emerg Crit Care 2014;24(1):93-104.

Palmer L, Martin L. Traumatic coagulopathy-part 1: pathophysiology and diagnosis. J Vet Emerg Crit Care 2014;24(1):63-74.

Subscribe for More

Stay current with the latest techniques and information – sign up below to start your FREE Today’s Veterinary Nurse subscription today.

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

DrAndyRoark.com

Articles, Videos, & Training on Pets & Veterinary Medicine

The Biggest Myths about Vets and Nutrition

March 10, 2016 by Dr. Andy Roark Community

I’m a big believer that most “black and white” statements about nutrition are oversimplified, frequently to the point of being inaccurate; and that the longer, grayer story is really the better one.

While I could (and just might) write an entire series based on this introduction, today’s long-overdue post addresses a mostly inaccurate statement that is frequently made by those offering pet nutrition advice online, and even occasionally by veterinarians. I’m referring to the myth “veterinarians don’t know anything about nutrition.”

Nutrition Education in Vet School

First, some truths. All graduates of US veterinary schools, no matter when they graduated, have nutrition integrated into their curriculum, whether it was a required course labeled “Nutrition 407” or whether it was sprinkled into other aspects of medicine, it’s in there. Some nutrition knowledge is also requisite to pass examinations for veterinary graduates to practice in the US.

I’ll be the first to agree that some veterinary institutions don’t provide enough nutrition training; however, even those institutions have curriculum that incorporates critical thinking, research, and the importance of continuing education . To maintain licensure to practice, veterinarians are required to complete a certain amount of continuing education each year, and there are many options available for veterinarians to either brush up on nutrition or pick up where vet school left off. It’s just a matter of making an effort to do so. There really isn’t a good excuse for a veterinarian to be ignorant when it comes to nutrition.

All that said, I just revealed my feelings about black-and-white statements about nutrition, so I’ll also say that I absolutely have met a (very) few veterinarians who appear to have completely blocked nutrition from their memory and have no interest in learning something new. They exist, but they’re exceptionally rare. I do, however, stand behind the black-and-white statement that there just isn’t a good excuse for this. What can I say? No profession is perfect.

So, if (nearly) every veterinarian practicing in the US truly has some nutrition knowledge, how can it be that this myth is so prevalent, even to the point that some veterinarians say it about themselves?

While a study on veterinarians’ self-reported level of nutrition knowledge, comparing it to their educational records, and correlating these with how they approach nutrition in practice would be an amazing tool for improving nutrition care within US veterinary practices, and the best way to answer this question, it doesn’t exist, to my knowledge.

What I do have to offer, is my assessment of the situation, based on my own veterinary and residency training, my time spent teaching at veterinary universities, and several years of speaking with veterinarians and pet owners about their experiences. This is not a substitute for a more evidence-based approach, but it’s what we have.

The way I view veterinarians’ nutrition deficiencies focuses not on knowledge, but on communication.

Choices, Choices Choices

First, we have to go back 20-30 years to consider that things have changed relatively recently when it comes to nutrition. There were drastically fewer options for pet owners to choose from when it came to pet food, and pet food marketing was fairly simplistic. The body of knowledge about pet nutrition and diet formulation was much smaller, and internet access wasn’t a factor in people’s decision-making. Because of this, there was a tendency for pet owners to ask veterinarians for nutrition advice when it was needed, and to take that advice at face value. Easy.

Now, all of those factors have changed. Pet owners think about nutrition much more than they did in the past, largely due to the ease with which information is available now. There has been an explosion in the number of pet food options available, and along with this, some very smart marketing that has even managed to look like unbiased information has entered the pet food market.

In addition, science has progressed so that we now know much more about pet nutrition, and pet food and the internet has brought the general public a ton of information (some useful, some useless, much confusing). With all of these changes, people’s expectations of their veterinarian, when it comes to nutrition, have changed.

Pet owners are no longer asking for advice (even if they phrase it as such). They’re asking for a dialog. Rather than the basic instruction that would have been acceptable in the past, pet owners now want to know that their veterinarian recognizes their concerns and the energy that they’ve devoted to learning about the subject. They want the vet to be willing and able to engage in a conversation about it and they want to play an active role in determining the course of action.

Nutrition and Communication

Like most aspects of both veterinary medicine and life in general, having this conversation takes practice. Incidentally, it’s not something that gets talked about a lot, but one of the most important things that veterinary students in their clinical year, and new graduates, do is refine their explanations of common diseases and medical concepts. It takes time to figure out the most effective and efficient way to convey the most important information; and it’s different for everybody.

So, 20-30 years ago, veterinarians never had to be good at talking with pet owners about nutrition, because no one was asking if a grain-free diet would help their pet with diarrhea. No one was asking if a raw-meat-based diet would improve a skin problem, and no one was trying to balance a home-prepared diet using whole food ingredients. Again, black-and-white statements here- I don’t mean literally anyone, I just mean few enough people to justify not having to learn to have these conversations.

While nutrition is absolutely present in the veterinary curriculum in the US, talking about nutrition: not so much, with the exception of teaching by a few of my very proactive colleagues. It’s been up to vets to learn it on their own. By far, the vast majority of veterinarians that I talk to who’ll say that they “don’t know anything about nutrition” are actually able to make perfectly reasonable nutritional recommendations in most instances, but where they fall down is in answering the pet owner’s question about why they made the recommendation. They haven’t had the practice. It’s not a knowledge issue, it’s a communication issue.

False Information, Frustrated Vets

While the pet owner may be asking “is diet x good for my pet?” it’s not a yes-or-no question anymore. Veterinarians don’t usually recognize that exactly what and how a pet is fed can potentially say a lot about the pet owner, and the pet owner may have invested much energy in the subject and determined that diet x is the way to go. Some pet food marketing has given many pet owners some false ideas about what is and is not important in pet food, and when a veterinarian outright disagrees with the results of a pet owner’s research, it’s natural for that pet owner to be offended.

As a generally peaceful bunch, most veterinarians don’t enjoy being put in these situations, so it’s easy to see how “I don’t know” may be the easier (though incorrect) answer. Another scenario where “I don’t know” may incorrectly come up is in response to claims such as “feeding abc diet will cure your pet’s medical condition.” Veterinarians are trained in critical evaluation of information, so if there isn’t any valid evidence-based information on which the veterinarian can advise otherwise, “I don’t know” is the alternative to the full explanation of the importance of evidence-based medicine.

While I don’t believe that “I don’t know” is the right answer in either of these scenarios, when veterinarians are managing hospitalized patients and returning phone calls from worried pet owners in between running a hospital, surgeries, appointments that are never long enough, walk-in patients, and emergencies, with a little bit of perspective, it’s easy to understand how saying “I don’t know” and not having a 40-minute conversation about nutrition may be the answer that keeps the day on track.

I’ll try not to sound like a marriage counselor here, but if the problem is communication, then the solution is to understand the other person’s perspective and taking steps to accommodate it.

My Calls to Action

Veterinarians: Ask owners of pets requiring nutritional care or clients with concerns about feeding their pet to schedule an appointment to discuss nutrition. Consider that criticism of your client’s current feeding choices is indirectly criticism of your client and their lifestyle. Focus on providing background in evidence-based medicine and the medical basis for your recommendations. Point out the level of evidence that informs each idea being discussed.

Find a gentle (but honest) way to suggest making changes, and keep the focus on the fact that you both want to provide the best care possible to the pet.Contact a veterinary nutritionist if needed. Use this opportunity to develop your approach to talking about nutrition. You’ll say “umm” a lot and feel like it’s your first week in practice for a while, but it will become second-nature. Your client will leave with the impression that you care, that you listened, and that you do know something about nutrition.

Pet owners: It’s tricky to navigate pet nutrition advice. There’s a lot of it, and it ranges from excellent to terrible. Often terrible is cleverly disguised as excellent. There are resources for dog and cat owners that can help, but your vet is really the best person to help sort it out. However, understand that while “is diet x good for my pet?” sounds like a simple question, it isn’t. Not if you want an intelligent answer.

The answer actually involves your pet’s medical needs (the easy part because your veterinarian already has a handle on this); your pet’s current and possibly previous diets, and his/her response to them; and the logistics of feeding and lifestyle in your home. If you are honestly interested in your veterinarian’s opinion of your pet’s diet (you should be), it’s only fair that you give them an opportunity to give you a good answer.

Asking about nutrition as a “by the way” as your vet is leaving for her next appointment isn’t fair. You probably won’t be satisfied with the answer, and your veterinarian won’t get the chance to provide your pet with the best possible care. Just as you’d schedule an appointment with your vet if you had questions about your pet’s itchy skin, go ahead and schedule one for your questions about diet.

It’s not the easy way out (surprise), but between veterinarians’ expanding knowledge base in nutrition, more practice with talking about it, and a bit of perspective, the myth that veterinarians don’t know anything about nutrition can hopefully be put to rest.

This post originally appeared at Veterinary Nutrition Care .

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

About the Author

Dr. Amy Farcas is one of only 84 veterinarians board-certified as a specialist in nutrition by the American College of Veterinary Nutrition.

Dr. Farcas earned her veterinary degree at the University of California-Davis, and then completed a rotating internship, followed by a year of practicing general and emergency medicine. By this time, she’d become fascinated with biochemistry and the effects of food on the body. She returned to the University of California-Davis for her residency in small animal clinical nutrition, and then earned a Master’s degree in nutritional biology. Dr. Farcas was the clinical nutritionist and acting service chief for the clinical nutrition service at the Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania before returning to California to start Veterinary Nutrition Care; a nutrition specialty practice in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Dr. Farcas is passionate about families, teaching, and food. Her work as a veterinary nutritionist allow her to combine these to help people give pets their best.

Dr. Andy Roark Community

Read more posts by: Dr. Andy Roark Community

Life skills and work readiness in VET

This publication provides guidance on how to support VET workers to develop life skills, such as work ethics, problem solving and decision making skills, creativity and flexibility, and critical thinking.

Description

Many VET graduates still lack basic life skills to start their work life, this results in employers having to invest in ensuring that VET trained workers are ready to take up the jobs they were hired for. This short publication provides guidance on how to support VET workers to develop work readiness and life skills, such as work ethics, working independently as well as collaborating in teams, problem solving and decision making skills, creativity and flexibility, and critical thinking.

Link to the resource/material/publication

Share this page

Junior Vet Academy:"Paws and Thought: How Critical Thinking Helps Vets Keep Pets Healthy!"

Title: "Paws and Thought: How Critical Thinking Helps Vets Keep Pets Healthy!"

In the world of veterinary medicine, critical thinking is like a superpower that helps veterinarians solve puzzles to keep our furry friends healthy and happy. Just like detectives, vets use their keen observation skills, logic, and knowledge to diagnose and treat animals. So, let's embark on an exciting journey to explore how critical thinking is the secret tool behind the scenes of veterinary care!

Understanding Critical Thinking in Veterinary Medicine:

1. Observation Skills: Just like Sherlock Holmes, veterinarians are expert observers. They pay attention to every detail - from a dog's wagging tail to a cat's meow - to detect signs of illness or injury.

2. Problem-Solving: Vets face mysteries every day. They gather clues by examining pets, asking questions, and using their knowledge to solve the puzzle of what might be wrong.

3. Analytical Thinking: Imagine vets as puzzle masters! They analyze symptoms, test results, and medical history to piece together the best treatment plan for each pet.

4. Decision Making: Making decisions is a crucial part of a vet's job. Using their critical thinking skills, they weigh options to choose the most effective and safest treatment for the animal.

Real-life Veterinary Adventures:

At Junior Vet Academy and Kids Vet Club you are the Vet. Together we walk through animal issues step by step. First recording observations, test results and owner input. Next we put on our thinking caps and anaylze the data. Then comes the hypothesis or as we vets say the "differential diagnosis" list. After additional exams and testing to prove our hypothesis we finish with a treatment plan to help our patient and its family.

2. Tales from the Examination Room: What is the physical exam and why is it so important? The physical exam is oftern the MOST important tool a veterinarain uses to help animals. Our patients ( excepts a few really smart birds) don't talk. How can we figure out the problem? The physical exam is oftern the answer. During this hands on exam we look the parient over from nose to tail or beak to tailfeather. It is with this valuable information we can find the source of the issue and createa plan to speed recovery.

Come join us on the farm and start building your veterinary diagnostic super powers.

Conclusion:

Critical thinking is the superhero tool in veterinary medicine. By nurturing these skills, kids can become keen observers and problem-solvers, ready to care for their pets or even consider a career in veterinary medicine. So, let's celebrate the power of critical thinking and the wonderful world of keeping our furry companions healthy and happy!

Remember, being a veterinarian isn't just about loving animals; it's also about using critical thinking to make a difference in their lives.

Amanda Mckee DVM

Recent Posts

"Keeping Your Furry Friends Safe: Holiday Pet Dangers"

Its a go for Santa's flight!

Kids Vet Club- Tips for Autumn from the Junior Vet Academy

Enhancing critical thinking skills and media literacy in initial vocational education and training via self-nudging: The contribution of NERDVET project

Affiliations.

• 1 Department of Human Science, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
• 2 ENAIP Veneto Foundation, Padova, Italy.
• PMID: 35992484
• PMCID: PMC9389391
• DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.935673

Vocational Education and Training (VET) programs are fuelled by technical and practical educational modules. The teaching staff adopts both traditional and innovative pedagogical frameworks to increase the generalization and maintenance of practical skills. At the same time, VET teachers and trainers have a few occasions to promote and include disciplines and educational programs for enhancing students' soft skills, e.g., critical thinking skills (CT) and media literacy (ML). Following the European VET framework and literature of the field, CT and ML represent a social challenge that requires even more efforts by academics, practitioners, and policymakers. Thisstudy situates into this context with the aim of introducing a novel educational approach for supporting the teaching staff in the promotion of students' CT and ML. This educational approach has been realized by the team of researchers and trainers of the NERDVET project, an Erasmus+ KA3 project devoted to the promotion of new tools and policies for enhancing CT and ML in VET. To pursue this aim, the team has employed the self-nudging model which regards the individuals' set of cognitive and behavioral strategies that individuals can develop to target a specific objective. By framing pedagogical strategies into this perspective, the team realized an initial approach for educational activities and teaching strategies to promote students' CT and ML.

Keywords: NERDVET; critical thinking skills; media literacy; self-nudging; vocational education and training (VET).

Copyright © 2022 Sartori, Tommasi, Ceschi, Falser, Genero and Belotto.

Your browser is out-of-date!

Update your browser to view this website correctly. Update my browser now

ON 6th August 1991, the world was changed forever when the world Wide Web is officially credited with coming into existence and the human race took a huge step towards becoming truly interconnected. After 350 years of developing Newtonian scientific thought and method, science opened for us Pandora’s box and committed the human race to […]

‘Systems Thinking’: a 21st century skill?

CHRIS WHIPP discusses a way of thinking that cannot be taught or learnt intellectually, but which has to be tried and learnt experientially – and played as a game

ON 6th August 1991, the world was changed forever when the world Wide Web is officially credited with coming into existence and the human race took a huge step towards becoming truly interconnected. After 350 years of developing Newtonian scientific thought and method, science opened for us Pandora’s box and committed the human race to playing, what has come to be known as “The Infinite Game” – a game with fundamentally different rules that we are currently struggling to understand. It didn’t happen overnight. The modern seeds were set in the 1960s with multidisciplinary research that led to the development of the “new” sciences, particularly complexity science. However, “Systems Theory” and “Systems Thinking” are represented widely within nature and have also been researched for more than 2,500 years within the Buddhist philosophical tradition. The advantage that we have as a profession is that rather than having to learn the game from the beginning, we can use the systems thinking we already use daily within our clinical practice and just learn what we need to apply the bits of it that are useful to our businesses and our lives. It’s also not about re-inventing the wheel – our scientific thinking is fine in many situations; it’s just about developing an additional set of skills for those situations where they may be useful (Figure 1). Complex Adaptive Systems (CASs) are just that, they are complex (Figure 2) and made up of agents that are independent, that learn and develop. Science works best with simple, closed systems, hence the reductionist approach and the focus on parts, whereas systems thinking works best with open systems and focuses on the relationships between those parts. One does not replace the other: they complement each other perfectly and a good rule of thumb is to use linear scientific methods if you can and systemic methods when these don’t work.

The infinite game

Systems thinking has certain basic concepts, which we will discuss briefly here, that differ significantly from those that apply within traditional science. It has gained the name of the infinite game partly to reflect the difficulty of defining a system from a reductionist (scientific) perspective and to give voice to the concept that you can’t afford to take it too seriously. Conceptually, one of the biggest problems is defining the boundary of the system, how do you draw a boundary (and control something) where the number of variables is huge, the relationships unfathomable and the system unmanageable. We all like to think we are in control but in a truly interconnected world we aren’t; the massive increase in mental wellness problems within western society in the last 50 years reflects in part our struggle with this loss of control/predictability. That we should approach such a serious situation in the same way as we would approach a game may seem counterintuitive, but by accepting we cannot be in total control, focusing on the process (game), playing it to the best of our abilities, reducing our attachment to outcomes we can’t control anyway and not clinging to elusive concepts of what might be right or wrong (when we can no longer possibly know), we can navigate the choppy waters and perhaps even enjoy it. All businesses are currently struggling with these changes as they move from the relative safety of the past to the challenges of an interconnected world (Figure 3). Vets have a unique advantage here in that we are already familiar with the principles from our work: a cat is as much an open CAS as a cow or a veterinary practice and the following systems concepts will probably be familiar.

Self-organisation

A critical concept of CASs is that the members of the system are self-organised and therefore responsible for their actions. This leads to a significant shift in power as has been seen in the demise of various repressive regimes in the last 20 years or so facilitated by easier communication and the internet.

Homoeostasis

Systems seek to maintain the status quo whether it is the RCVS maintaining the regulatory environment or a dog maintaining its temperature. Whilst humans frequently crave change, we also usually resist change and systemic resistance to change should always be recognised and addressed. Telling somebody to do something and getting it done are two quite different things (Figure 1).

Never change one thing

Science aims to work within small closed systems where cause and effect are linear. This is not how things are in CASs. You never change just one thing, the entire system will be affected and, equally important, it takes time for those effects to be seen (e.g. giving propofol and seeing the effects)

We recognise positive and negative feedback loops to be central to life itself and they are central to systems thinking. By paying attention to the relationships within the system and the feedback loops that exist, it is possible to identify leverage points, key points where relatively small actions can have big effects. The recent UK riots demonstrate a number of systems characteristics, including positive feedback loops, emergence and the law of unintended consequence.

One of the key characteristics of CASs is that they demonstrate emergence; emergence is “the arising of novel and coherent structures, patterns and properties during the process of selforganisation in complex systems” or, to put it another way, things arise out of the development of the system.

Law of unintended consequence

Unintended consequences will always occur and when working with CASs it is necessary to reframe the western preoccupation with right/wrong and success/failure. The critical scientific method frequently seeks out failure; this does not work with systems where the complexity and uncertainty quickly exceed our human cognitive capacity and there is a need to embrace core positive approaches.

Simple rules

The key to working with complex systems is to develop sets of simple rules that guide actions irrespective of how complex the situation is. For example, a flock of 10,000 roosting starlings might work to just three rules:

• 1. Fly towards the centre of the flock;
• 2. Match your speed to those around you;
• 3. Don’t fly into anybody ( www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdQgoN… l1g).

Systems thinking cannot be taught or learnt intellectually, you have to play the game and learn experientially. If anyone wants to know more, I am quite happy to organise a 1:1 or a webinar. Email [email protected].

Your favourite columns

Have you heard about our IVP Membership?

A wide range of veterinary CPD and resources by leading veterinary professionals.

Stress-free CPD tracking and certification, you’ll wonder how you coped without it.

More articles like this

Are any animals truly domesticated.

29 April 2024

Will electric cars ever be suitable for equine practice?

16 April 2024

Am I burnt out?

4 April 2024

Defining short-term housing for animals

Have any Questions?

• [email protected]

"The profusion of facts obscured a deeper and more significant problem: the reconciliation between knowledge (certain, fixed, perfect, concrete) and clinical wisdom (uncertain, fluid, imperfect, abstract)."

Those were the words of Dr. Mukherjee (Mukherjee, 2015) as he reflected on his didactic and clinical training in medicine.  He reflects on the seemingly constant “greyness” of decision-making in the real medical world, even with the best diagnostic tools. He also reflects on the fundamental deficiencies of his formal training in preparing him for some of the uncertainty.  If the training of M.D.’s is so “uncertain,” do we, in veterinary medicine, dare to think differently about our clinical practices?  If so much is about using good judgment when facts are missing or inconclusive, and much is also about self-reflection and correction, then what is called for is “critical clinical thinking,” “clinical reasoning,” or “clinical problem-solving.”

Often, this skill is considered the “magic” that somehow passes from a clinical year or residency mentor. Why does this have to be some deep dark secret?   Indeed, it has always been accepted that those in training would just get better at this as they were immersed in the clinic. But why should we postpone giving practice at such skills of self-reflective thinking?

I generally don’t make a practice of touting my own work, preferring to note that of others.  However, as first author of the attached manuscript in  J. Vet. Med. Education  ( jvme.0216-032r1pub ), I have the privilege of sharing this document as a whole, as we’ve tried to add to the prior works of veterinary educators like Herron et al. (1990), Ramaekers et al. (2011), and Buur et al. (2012) who have sought to tackle this subject in the context of veterinary education.

Herron and colleagues noted that the standard 3 years of basic science led to no improvement in overall performance on the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal, but, of great concern, found a regression  in the “the ability to determine the strength of an argument.” In that publication, it was first proposed that problem-solving might best be taught in a discipline-specific context, and starting in the first year.

More recently, Ramaekers and colleagues (2011) described the art of pattern recognition that is typical of expert diagnosticians, called “illness scripts.” Furthermore, that these are necessary to move a novice clinician to an expert.  Buur and colleagues (2012) showed that overall veterinary student performance on a general critical thinking skills tests (California Critical Thinking Skills Test) did not improve following a 2 year problem-based curriculum.  Our study of first year veterinary students also showed no overall improvement in student performance on a third general critical thinking skills test (Cornell Critical Thinking Test X) following a year-long series of practice case analyses, but did show improvement in pre-developed rubric scores associated with attributes of critical clinical thinking.

So, critical thinking is best taught and evaluated within the context of the constructs of one’s professional domain. Therefore, as veterinary educators, we should be concerned about providing appropriate practice with clinical problem-solving from the very beginning of the curriculum, ideally maintaining the effort until they graduate.   And one more thing…it’s a team sport.

As always, please share your experiences and thoughts on this topic.

Buur JL, Schmidt P, Smylie D, et al. Validation of a scenario-based assessment of critical thinking using an externally validated tool. J Vet Med Educ.2012;39(3):276–82. Medline:22951463  http://dx.doi.org/10.3138/jvme.0112-009R  .

Herron MA, Wolf A, DiBrito W. Faculty and student attitudes toward problem solving and independent learning in the veterinary medical curriculum. J Vet Med Educ. 1990;17(1):19–21.

Ferguson DC, McNeil LK, Schaeffer DJ, Mills EM (2017) Encouraging Critical Clinical Thinking (CCT) Skills in First-Year Veterinary Students, J. Vet. Med. Ed. 44(3):531-540. Published online, Sept. 1, 2017,  http://jvme.utpjournals.press/doi/pdf/10.3138/jvme.0216-032R1

Mukherjee S. The laws of medicine: field notes from an uncertain science. New York: Simon and Schuster; 2015.  http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Laws-of-Medicine/Siddhartha-Mukherjee/TED-Books/9781476784847

Ramaekers SPJ, van Beukelen P, Kremer WDJ, et al. An instructional model for training competence in solving clinical problems. J Vet Med Educ. 2011;38(4):360–72. Medline:22130412  http://dx.doi.org/10.3138/jvme.38.4.360  .

Quick Links

Creating, curating and sharing engaged students efficient faculty blended learning critical thinking.

• Search Search Search …
• Search Search …

When To Use Critical Thinking – What You Need To Know

There is a time and a place to use different skills in life. When faced with a problem that requires calm, logical reasoning to find a valuable and lasting solution, Critical Thinking can help. 

Critical Thinking can apply to numerous situations in someone’s life, but it isn’t always the best answer. Keep reading to discover when to use Critical Thinking and how to do it well!

What Is Critical Thinking?

Before trying to use Critical Thinking , you need to know what it is. The idea was first put to words by John Dewey in 1910, though the Ancient Greeks applied it without calling it such.

The concept involves reflective thought and the development of a scientific attitude towards problems . Critical Thinking utilizes data, information, observation to formulate and understand links between ideas, errors in reasoning, and the importance of information to an argument.

But Critical Thinking isn’t just the process of reflecting on thoughts, beliefs, or ideas. It involves measuring the quality of those ideas or a problem and working to improve them. Critical Thinking identifies flaws in thinking and helps create solid and logical solutions to problems.

Steps To Critical Thinking

The premise of Critical Thinking requires a systemic approach to analyzing information to solve a problem or come to a logical solution adequately.

Step 1: Identify The Problem

Clearly define the problem you want to solve. The more clearly defined the problem, the easier it is to research the cause and develop solutions.

Step 2: Examine Why The Problem Exists

Consider the probable causes and solutions to the problem before researching. This step helps narrow down the breadth and type of research you need to examine the issue.

Step 3: Research The Problem

Research builds the foundation for a logical and solid solution to a problem. Investigate the problem and the opinions of leaders in the field regarding the issue. Consider information from scientists, doctors, theologians, politicians, etc.

Also, don’t look at just a single perspective that agrees with your thoughts. Instead, gather information from opposing views and sources to get a comprehensive picture.

Step 4: Organize Research and Findings

After gathering information and evidence to build on, organize it to make things easier to refer back to for reference.

Step 5: Develop and Test Hypotheses

After summarizing and organizing your research, create one or several hypotheses on how to solve the problem. Then, test out the hypotheses.

Step 6: Analyze What Worked (And What Didn’t)

Examine the results of the tested hypotheses. Analyze what worked and what didn’t.

Step 7: Identify Areas of Improvement

Draw your conclusions from the results of any thinking, testing, or hypothesizing done to correct the problem. Then, develop areas of improvement to strengthen the solution to the problem.

When To Use Critical Thinking – Applications and Examples

If you aren’t sure when to use Critical Thinking, the answer is: often . Critical Thinking applies to countless situations in life, from academic to social. For example, you can apply Critical Thinking to problems like:

• Why did something you said upset a close friend?
• How do political ads influence beliefs?
• How to reduce your carbon footprint?
• How to help solve a dispute between employees, siblings, or friends?
• Evaluate your opinion on political or social beliefs.
• Assessing and understanding the importance of a thought or idea to your children or friends.

The Benefit of Using Critical Thinking

With Critical Thinking, individuals learn to process situations with sound reason to understand their motives better, the beliefs of others, and the flaws and strengths of arguments.

Critical Thinking can apply to almost any situation a person comes across in life. From school projects to relationship dynamics, Critical Thinking provides a process to analyze a problem logically to come to a clear solution.

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/critical-thinking/history.html

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/critical-thinking-skills

https://www.skillsyouneed.com/learn/critical-thinking.html

You may also like

Best Decision Making Books: Top Picks for Strategic Minds

In today’s fast-paced world, making informed and effective decisions is a skill that can have a profound impact on both personal and […]

Critical Thinking vs Positive Thinking (The Pros and Cons)

In a world where we are expected to be on top of things every second of the day, having the best coping […]

Critical thinking and Emotional intelligence

Critical thinking and emotional intelligence are both phrases that you might be hearing a lot at the moment, but have you ever […]

Thinking Critically About New Information

We are constantly inundated with new information all of the time, even if it’s just sensory input from what we smell, hear, […]

Work Life is Atlassian’s flagship publication dedicated to unleashing the potential of every team through real-life advice, inspiring stories, and thoughtful perspectives from leaders around the world.

Contributing Writer

Work Futurist

Senior Quantitative Researcher, People Insights

Principal Writer

How to build critical thinking skills for better decision-making

It’s simple in theory, but tougher in practice – here are five tips to get you started.

Get stories like this in your inbox

Have you heard the riddle about two coins that equal thirty cents, but one of them is not a nickel? What about the one where a surgeon says they can’t operate on their own son?

Those brain teasers tap into your critical thinking skills. But your ability to think critically isn’t just helpful for solving those random puzzles – it plays a big role in your career. 

An impressive 81% of employers say critical thinking carries a lot of weight when they’re evaluating job candidates. It ranks as the top competency companies consider when hiring recent graduates (even ahead of communication ). Plus, once you’re hired, several studies show that critical thinking skills are highly correlated with better job performance.

So what exactly are critical thinking skills? And even more importantly, how do you build and improve them? 

What is critical thinking?

Critical thinking is the ability to evaluate facts and information, remain objective, and make a sound decision about how to move forward.

Does that sound like how you approach every decision or problem? Not so fast. Critical thinking seems simple in theory but is much tougher in practice, which helps explain why 65% of employers say their organization has a need for more critical thinking. 

In reality, critical thinking doesn’t come naturally to a lot of us. In order to do it well, you need to:

• Remain open-minded and inquisitive, rather than relying on assumptions or jumping to conclusions
• Ask questions and dig deep, rather than accepting information at face value
• Keep your own biases and perceptions in check to stay as objective as possible
• Rely on your emotional intelligence to fill in the blanks and gain a more well-rounded understanding of a situation

So, critical thinking isn’t just being intelligent or analytical. In many ways, it requires you to step outside of yourself, let go of your own preconceived notions, and approach a problem or situation with curiosity and fairness.

It’s a challenge, but it’s well worth it. Critical thinking skills will help you connect ideas, make reasonable decisions, and solve complex problems.

7 critical thinking skills to help you dig deeper

Critical thinking is often labeled as a skill itself (you’ll see it bulleted as a desired trait in a variety of job descriptions). But it’s better to think of critical thinking less as a distinct skill and more as a collection or category of skills. 

To think critically, you’ll need to tap into a bunch of your other soft skills. Here are seven of the most important. 

Open-mindedness

It’s important to kick off the critical thinking process with the idea that anything is possible. The more you’re able to set aside your own suspicions, beliefs, and agenda, the better prepared you are to approach the situation with the level of inquisitiveness you need. 

That means not closing yourself off to any possibilities and allowing yourself the space to pull on every thread – yes, even the ones that seem totally implausible.

As Christopher Dwyer, Ph.D. writes in a piece for Psychology Today , “Even if an idea appears foolish, sometimes its consideration can lead to an intelligent, critically considered conclusion.” He goes on to compare the critical thinking process to brainstorming . Sometimes the “bad” ideas are what lay the foundation for the good ones. 

Open-mindedness is challenging because it requires more effort and mental bandwidth than sticking with your own perceptions. Approaching problems or situations with true impartiality often means:

• Practicing self-regulation : Giving yourself a pause between when you feel something and when you actually react or take action.
• Challenging your own biases: Acknowledging your biases and seeking feedback are two powerful ways to get a broader understanding. 

Critical thinking example

In a team meeting, your boss mentioned that your company newsletter signups have been decreasing and she wants to figure out why.

At first, you feel offended and defensive – it feels like she’s blaming you for the dip in subscribers. You recognize and rationalize that emotion before thinking about potential causes. You have a hunch about what’s happening, but you will explore all possibilities and contributions from your team members.

Observation

Observation is, of course, your ability to notice and process the details all around you (even the subtle or seemingly inconsequential ones). Critical thinking demands that you’re flexible and willing to go beyond surface-level information, and solid observation skills help you do that.

Your observations help you pick up on clues from a variety of sources and experiences, all of which help you draw a final conclusion. After all, sometimes it’s the most minuscule realization that leads you to the strongest conclusion.

Over the next week or so, you keep a close eye on your company’s website and newsletter analytics to see if numbers are in fact declining or if your boss’s concerns were just a fluke. 

Critical thinking hinges on objectivity. And, to be objective, you need to base your judgments on the facts – which you collect through research. You’ll lean on your research skills to gather as much information as possible that’s relevant to your problem or situation. 

Keep in mind that this isn’t just about the quantity of information – quality matters too. You want to find data and details from a variety of trusted sources to drill past the surface and build a deeper understanding of what’s happening. 

You dig into your email and website analytics to identify trends in bounce rates, time on page, conversions, and more. You also review recent newsletters and email promotions to understand what customers have received, look through current customer feedback, and connect with your customer support team to learn what they’re hearing in their conversations with customers.

The critical thinking process is sort of like a treasure hunt – you’ll find some nuggets that are fundamental for your final conclusion and some that might be interesting but aren’t pertinent to the problem at hand.

That’s why you need analytical skills. They’re what help you separate the wheat from the chaff, prioritize information, identify trends or themes, and draw conclusions based on the most relevant and influential facts. 

It’s easy to confuse analytical thinking with critical thinking itself, and it’s true there is a lot of overlap between the two. But analytical thinking is just a piece of critical thinking. It focuses strictly on the facts and data, while critical thinking incorporates other factors like emotions, opinions, and experiences. 

As you analyze your research, you notice that one specific webpage has contributed to a significant decline in newsletter signups. While all of the other sources have stayed fairly steady with regard to conversions, that one has sharply decreased.

You decide to move on from your other hypotheses about newsletter quality and dig deeper into the analytics. 

One of the traps of critical thinking is that it’s easy to feel like you’re never done. There’s always more information you could collect and more rabbit holes you could fall down.

But at some point, you need to accept that you’ve done your due diligence and make a decision about how to move forward. That’s where inference comes in. It’s your ability to look at the evidence and facts available to you and draw an informed conclusion based on those. 

When you’re so focused on staying objective and pursuing all possibilities, inference can feel like the antithesis of critical thinking. But ultimately, it’s your inference skills that allow you to move out of the thinking process and onto the action steps. 

You dig deeper into the analytics for the page that hasn’t been converting and notice that the sharp drop-off happened around the same time you switched email providers.

After looking more into the backend, you realize that the signup form on that page isn’t correctly connected to your newsletter platform. It seems like anybody who has signed up on that page hasn’t been fed to your email list. 

Communication

3 ways to improve your communication skills at work

If and when you identify a solution or answer, you can’t keep it close to the vest. You’ll need to use your communication skills to share your findings with the relevant stakeholders – like your boss, team members, or anybody who needs to be involved in the next steps.

Your analysis skills will come in handy here too, as they’ll help you determine what information other people need to know so you can avoid bogging them down with unnecessary details. 

In your next team meeting, you pull up the analytics and show your team the sharp drop-off as well as the missing connection between that page and your email platform. You ask the web team to reinstall and double-check that connection and you also ask a member of the marketing team to draft an apology email to the subscribers who were missed. 

Problem-solving

Critical thinking and problem-solving are two more terms that are frequently confused. After all, when you think critically, you’re often doing so with the objective of solving a problem.

The best way to understand how problem-solving and critical thinking differ is to think of problem-solving as much more narrow. You’re focused on finding a solution.

In contrast, you can use critical thinking for a variety of use cases beyond solving a problem – like answering questions or identifying opportunities for improvement. Even so, within the critical thinking process, you’ll flex your problem-solving skills when it comes time to take action. 

Once the fix is implemented, you monitor the analytics to see if subscribers continue to increase. If not (or if they increase at a slower rate than you anticipated), you’ll roll out some other tests like changing the CTA language or the placement of the subscribe form on the page.

5 ways to improve your critical thinking skills

Beyond the buzzwords: Why interpersonal skills matter at work

Think critically about critical thinking and you’ll quickly realize that it’s not as instinctive as you’d like it to be. Fortunately, your critical thinking skills are learned competencies and not inherent gifts – and that means you can improve them. Here’s how:

• Practice active listening: Active listening helps you process and understand what other people share. That’s crucial as you aim to be open-minded and inquisitive.
• Ask open-ended questions: If your critical thinking process involves collecting feedback and opinions from others, ask open-ended questions (meaning, questions that can’t be answered with “yes” or “no”). Doing so will give you more valuable information and also prevent your own biases from influencing people’s input.
• Scrutinize your sources: Figuring out what to trust and prioritize is crucial for critical thinking. Boosting your media literacy and asking more questions will help you be more discerning about what to factor in. It’s hard to strike a balance between skepticism and open-mindedness, but approaching information with questions (rather than unquestioning trust) will help you draw better conclusions. 
• Play a game: Remember those riddles we mentioned at the beginning? As trivial as they might seem, games and exercises like those can help you boost your critical thinking skills. There are plenty of critical thinking exercises you can do individually or as a team . 
• Give yourself time: Research shows that rushed decisions are often regrettable ones. That’s likely because critical thinking takes time – you can’t do it under the wire. So, for big decisions or hairy problems, give yourself enough time and breathing room to work through the process. It’s hard enough to think critically without a countdown ticking in your brain. 

Critical thinking really is critical

The ability to think critically is important, but it doesn’t come naturally to most of us. It’s just easier to stick with biases, assumptions, and surface-level information. 

But that route often leads you to rash judgments, shaky conclusions, and disappointing decisions. So here’s a conclusion we can draw without any more noodling: Even if it is more demanding on your mental resources, critical thinking is well worth the effort.

Advice, stories, and expertise about work life today.