Critical thinking tendency and Professional behavior of nurses

Introduction and Objective: Critical thinking is widely emphasized as a cornerstone of effective decision-making and the delivery of quality care. Professional behaviors, on the other hand, are highlighted as essential for strengthening nurses’ professional identity and enhancing the quality of healthcare services. One of the essential conditions for providing qualified nursing care is to think critically in care management and evaluate the process from a professional perspective. This study aims to determine nurses' critical thinking tendencies and professional behaviors, as well as the relationship between these two aspects.Material and Methods: The descriptive study was conducted with 678 nurses. The Introductory Information Form, California Critical Thinking Disposition Scale (CCTDS), and Behavioral Inventory for Professionalism in Nursing were used to collect data. Descriptive statistical analyses, including independent group t-tests, Pearson correlation analysis, and one-way ANOVA tests, were used to evaluate the data.Results and Discussion: Nurses' critical thinking tendencies (211.05±23.32) and professionalism behaviors (6.41±4.08) were found to be low. A significant relationship was found between the nurses' critical thinking tendency and their professionalism behaviors, as well as the total score and its sub-dimensions. The study reveals that critical thinking and professionalism behaviors have an essential place in the nursing profession and are related to professional development characteristics.