I teach surgical technology. Although our text the student a wealth of information critical thinking has to be mastered once the student is in the OR environment. Every patient is not a textbook situation and the student has to solve the problem of care for that patient at that moment. Critical thinking skills and of course common sense has to kick in. As they become seniors in the program of study I am constantly saying that they must pull in all the other things they have been taught ( A&P, Med term, Pharm) to solve the problem at hand (care for this patient). Maybe it is because I am older or the fact that this generation is stuck on instant gratification but I feel that common sense and critical thinking are not encouraged today.
