Professional Behaviours in Thinking and Communication

Original Editor - Wanda van Niekerk based on the course by Benita Olivier

Top Contributors - Wanda van Niekerk and Jess Bell  

Critical Thinking

Definition of Critical Thinking

Below are some definitions of critical thinking available in healthcare literature.

• "Critical thinking is the process of analysing and evaluating thinking to make decisions."
• "Critical thinking is a process of careful thought and reflection before a decision is made."
• "Critical thinking is defined as the purposeful, self-regulatory judgement that results in interpretation, analysis and inference as well as explanation of the evidential, conceptual, methodological, criteriological or contextual considerations upon which that judgement is based."
• "The act or practice of thinking critically (as by applying reason and questioning assumptions) to solve problems, evaluate information, discern biases, etc."

Key Elements of Critical Thinking in Healthcare

Several key elements are involved in critical thinking when managing patients. These are:

• assessment and analysis
• problem identification
• decision-making
• continuous evaluation

The Ideal Critical Thinker

Personal critical thinker indicators refer to the behaviours and characteristics of critical thinkers. Developing these characteristics / behaviours may help healthcare professionals in their quest to become better critical thinkers. Indicators are listed in Table 1.

Table 1. Personal critical thinker indicators

Critical thinker indicators
self-aware curious self-corrective intuitive honest prudent creative courageous health-oriented	genuine inquisitive analytical confident responsible open-minded realistic patient improvement-oriented	authentic alert to context insightful resilient autonomous fair-minded practical persistent	effective communicator reflective logical careful sensitive to diversity proactive flexible

Critical thinking is a skill that can be improved through self-awareness, instruction, practice and getting feedback from others. Three different perspectives of critical thinking are thinking ahead, thinking in action and reflective thinking or thinking back.

Strategies for Becoming a Critical Thinker

Five recommended strategies to become a critical thinker are:

1. Get to know yourself better and understand yourself (self-awareness)
2. Build trust in relationships through respectful communication
3. Commit to developing the necessary skills, knowledge and attitude for critical thinking
4. Make sure everyone in your group / department / division knows what critical thinking is by using evidence-based resources
5. Reflect on your thinking and reasoning processes and ask for feedback

Navigating Professional Challenges with Problem-Solving Skills

Why is Problem-Solving in Healthcare Significant?

• Adaptability to change:
  • effective problem-solving skills allow healthcare professionals to adapt to unpredictable and dynamic changing situations
• Optimising patient outcomes:
  • enhancing healthcare professionals' decision-making skills will raise the quality of patient care and improve patient outcomes
• Ethical decision-making
• Patient advocacy

Necessary Skills for Effective Problem-Solving

Certain skills are required in healthcare professionals for effective problem-solving in different and complex scenarios. These include:

• analytical or critical thinking
• collaborative problem-solving
• continuous improvement mindset
• resilience and adaptability
• effective communication

Effective Communication Strategies

Important Aspects Related to Communication

• Effective communication builds trust
  • you can read more about factors leading to effective communication here
• Empathy and compassion
  • empathetic communication is important in building a therapeutic alliance
  • empathetic communication allows clinicians to gather vital subjective information that promotes a holistic patient approach
  • you can read more about using empathy in communication here

• Effective choice of communication strategies
  • patients prefer clinicians who communicate without medical jargon
  • clinicians who communicate with clear, concise and jargon-free language are more positively received; they are seen as empathetic and approachable and are rated as good communicators by patients

• Cultural competence
  • you can read more about culture and communication here

• Informed decision-making
  • this is a collaborative process that involves the patient and clinician making a decision after discussing all the available options, the pros and cons of each option, and considering patient preferences, values and circumstances
  • you can read more about informed-decision making and other important considerations when discussing options with patients here

• Team dynamics
  • effective communication between members of a medical team enables the team to make adjustments to strategies and actions during patient care
  • "Effective communication is the linchpin of teamwork."
  • communication quality is more important than frequency

• Information sharing
  • "Timely and accurate sharing of patient information is crucial for coordinated care."

• Respecting patient privacy
  • information sharing is important in an interdisciplinary health team, but healthcare professionals should convey sensitive information discreetly and securely
  • healthcare providers are legally obligated to keep patient information private and secure

Interpersonal Skills for Positive Relationships and Outcomes

Interpersonal skills lie at the heart of professionalism in healthcare. These skills include:

• effective communication
• empathy and active listening
• interprofessional collaboration
• conflict resolution
• cultural sensitivity
• maintaining boundaries
• team building