My dissertation explores strategies in academia used to develop critical thinking skills in nursing education. I'm especially interested in how your prior clinical experiences, academic backgrounds, and the design of courses shape the ability to think critically in both classroom and clinical settings.

This summer Professor Lakoff and myself will be doing a research study protocol, using a qualitative approach known as Interpretive Description, which allows us to understand the real-world experiences of students while staying grounded in the practical context of nursing education. Through focus groups, reflective journals, and classroom observations, we hope to uncover what truly supports students in developing deeper, more analytical ways of thinking.

My goal is to improve how we teach and structure nursing education so that students not only learn content but also feel empowered to question, reflect, and make sound clinical decisions. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering why something is taught a certain way, or how your thinking is evolving as you move through the program, you’re already engaging in the kind of reflection that this research values.

I look forward to sharing insights from this work with you throughout the course, and I hope it helps you better understand your own journey as a critical thinker in nursing.