Effects of a Modified Version of Illness-Wellness Continuum Framework on Nursing Students' Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment.

Abstract

As health care evolves, nursing faculty need to continuously update the curriculum. Theories and models help students grasp abstract critical thinking concepts that underpin clinical reasoning. To evaluate how integrating the Illness-Wellness Continuum model into the nursing curriculum affects undergraduate students' critical thinking and clinical judgment. This was a study of 127 students in a medical-surgical nursing course using the Critical Thinking Self-Assessment Scale and a clinical judgment tool. Clinical judgment scores improved significantly (P < .001) from course start (4.87 ± 0.60) to end (5.38 ± 0.49), as did critical thinking scores (4.47 ± 0.67; 4.96 ± 0.70). Age and gender showed no significant effects, although the relationship between critical thinking and clinical judgment strengthened significantly (Fisher z = 2.64, P = .014). The Modified Illness-Wellness Continuum model effectively bridges foundational medical knowledge with nursing practice, fostering critical thinking and clinical judgment in undergraduate nursing students.