Critical thinking in nursing students and its relationship with professional self-concept and relevant factors

Background: The proper levels of critical thinking (CT) and professional self-concept (PSC) both have key roles in the academic achievements of nursing students. The present study was conducted to examine a possible correlation between PSC and CT. Methods: This descriptive-correlational study was conducted on 154 eligible nursing students, selected through the stratified random sampling technique. For this purpose, two instruments were utilized: the Persian version of nurses’ self-concept questionnaire and Ricketts’ Critical Thinking Disposition Assessment Scale. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was employed to analyze data using SPSS 16. Results: Although levels of CT vary in different semesters, the correlation coefficient between CT and PSC among nursing students was -0.46 (P < 0.001). Therefore, there was a significant, inverse, moderate correlation between these two variables. Conclusion: The correlation between the total scores of PSC and CT was significant and negative, indicating increasing professional self-concept in students decreases their levels of CT. It seems that modern teaching methods based on problem-solving are less used in nursing students’ education, which leads to greater development of CT. It is believed that other underlying factors may have contributed to the negative correlation between PSC and CT. Further studies in this regard are recommended.