Abstract
Nursing aims to evaluate, analyze and solve problems by using scientific methods. This study was conducted to evaluate the views of nursing students about analytical thinking skills. This study, which was carried out with the Husserlian phenomenological approach, was conducted with 13 nursing students. In the data assessment, Colaizzi’s seven-step content analysis method was used. The Kappa Analysis was conducted to measure the reliability of comparative fit. Based on the content analysis, there emerged four themes and 14 subthemes. Students defined analytical thinking as a mathematical and logical approach, result-based thinking, detailed thinking, practical thinking and ethical thinking. They stated the factors affecting analytical thinking skills as case presentations/discussions, lessons in the curriculum, laboratory and clinical applications, scientific activities, social activities and university education. They stated that the training they received improved their analytical thinking skills. They suggested that laboratory and clinical practice hours and case discussions should be increased in order to improve this skills. Case presentations/discussions, courses in the curriculum, laboratory and clinical applications, scientific and social activities in nursing education were found to be important in developing analytical thinking skills.