Assessing Critical Thinking in a Professional Context: A Case Study of Healthcare Professionals

Background: Critical thinking encompasses analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing information objectively. It is a critical skill in decision-making and complex problem-solving and is essential for effectively navigating demanding healthcare environments. Objective: The main objective of this study is to analyze and describe the perception of healthcare professionals (technicians, nurses, administration workers…) at the IBN SINA University Hospital Center (CHU) regarding their critical thinking skills. Study design: A descriptive quantitative analysis. Method: The assessment instrument was developed following a literature review of “Critical Thinking Assessment Models”; it consists of 15 items divided into five dimensions via a questionnaire that was administered to university hospital healthcare staff (N=100). Results: As a result, the main dimensions of critical thinking competence identified, ranked in order of importance, are: "open-mindedness," "consideration of alternatives," "argumentation," "logical reasoning," and "analysis and evaluation of results." Conclusions: The results highlight that participants perceive themselves to be competent in relation to the specific aspects of critical thinking within their field of activity.