The Effect of Creative Thinking on Clinical Decision-Making in Nursing Students

Background: Clinical decision-making is a fundamental competence in nursing practice and directly affects patient safety and quality of care. In recent years, creative thinking has been emphasized as a cognitive skill that enables nursing students to generate flexible, innovative, and effective solutions in complex clinical situations. However, empirical evidence examining the relationship between creative thinking and clinical decision-making among nursing students remains limited.

Aim: This study aimed to examine the effect of creative thinking tendencies on clinical decision-making levels in nursing students and to identify related factors influencing this relationship. Methods: This research was conducted as a descriptive, cross-sectional, and correlational study. The study sample consisted of nursing students enrolled in a health sciences faculty. Data were collected using the Student Information Form, the Marmara Creative Thinking Dispositions Scale, and the Clinical Decision-Making in Nursing Scale. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and appropriate comparative tests were used to analyze the data.

Results: The findings indicated that nursing students demonstrated moderate levels of creative thinking and clinical decision-making. A statistically significant positive relationship was found between creative thinking dispositions and clinical decision-making levels. Students with higher creative thinking scores showed more effective and confident clinical decision-making abilities. Additionally, certain sociodemographic and educational variables were found to influence both creative thinking and clinical decision-making skills.

Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that creative thinking plays an important role in enhancing clinical decision-making skills among nursing students. Integrating educational strategies that promote creative thinking into nursing curricula may contribute to the development of students’ clinical judgment and decision-making competencies. These findings provide valuable evidence for nursing education programs aiming to improve clinical performance and prepare students for complex healthcare environments.

Keywords: Nursing students, creative thinking, clinical decision-making, nursing education