Give and take: Integrating the skills of critique into doctoral nursing curricula.

Critique resides at the heart of the development, quality, and relevance of nursing science. Nurses prepared at the doctoral level can maximize their contribution to the science of the discipline by learning the skills of critique. Expansion of the discipline's knowledge base increases demands on doctorally-prepared nurses to assess scientific proposals and products, invite critique of their own work, and respond to critical review, with the common goal of improved practice and outcome. Thus, to fulfill their potential, nurse scholars must develop proficiency in the give and take of critique. Doctorally-prepared nurses function in a variety of roles enhanced by effective skills of critique. First, the capacity to critique is the sine qua non in the early stages of developing a program of research. Building a foundation for an area of investigation requires one to possess the skills to identify and differentiate strengths and weakness of extant theories, models, designs, and protocols, prior to assessing the worthiness of findings. The ability to respond to critique offered by peers, colleagues, and experts also hastens the trajectory of a successful research program. Second, effective use of research requires the ability to critique the scientific literature prior to considering the application of findings to practice. Devoid of careful critique, practice could be guided by false evidence and unsound science (Duffy, 2005; Veeramah, 2004). In other words, rigorous critique must precede application to and adaptation of practice. Third, doctorally-prepared nurses must contribute to the science of the discipline by serving as reviewers for journals and funding panels, referees for awards and tenure, and decision makers for evidence-based interventions. Not limited to research manuscripts, many other aspects of scholarly work benefit from critique (e.g., theories), models, designs, and proposals as well as completed research, Institutional Review Board applications, scholarly posters, and platform presentations, to name a few. Without the skills for conducting systematic and sound critique, doctorally-prepared nurses remain limited in their ability to contribute to building the science of the discipline, as researchers, users of research, and peer reviewers of research. Perhaps one of the greatest challenges to teaching critique in doctoral programs in nursing involves creating and nurturing a climate for critique. Why might this be the case? Too often nurse educators have created an expectation of ''doing it right the first time'' without the opportunity for input and revision. However, this norm is not unique to nursing. Prior to entering a doctoral …