ANGESISA SITHOLE - Continuous Personal Development

Systems Thinking: What, Why, When, Where, and How? - The Systems Thinkerf you’re reading The Systems Thinker®, you probably have at least a general sense of the benefits of applying systems thinking in the work-place. But even if you’re intrigued by the possibility of looking at business problems in new ways, you may not know how to go about actually using these principles and tools. The […]

The "Thinking" in Systems Thinking: How Can We Make It Easier to Master? - The Systems Thinkerespite significant advances in personal computers and systems thinking software over the last decade, learning to apply systems thinking effectively remains a tough nut to crack. Many intelligent people continue to struggle far too long with the systems thinking paradigm, thinking process, and methodology. From my work with both business and education professionals over the […]

Artifact 1

This article gives us ways of how to be a systems thinker. It goes through multiple steps in the systems thinking approach and goes through seven critical thinking skills. I uploaded this artifact because being a systems thinker is a step in a ladder leading to being a responsible, ethical decision-maker in the medical field.

Artifact Reflection

Usually, when I am confronted with an issue, my mind goes through multiple steps on how to come up with a solution. This is usually not a problem but when faced with making hard decisions, I become indecisive. As a future medical doctor, applying a systems thinking approach is an essential process in decision-making. In a systems thinking approach, you must first identify the problem or issue you want to investigate or deal with by looking at patterns of the issue and exploring the possibilities of the causes that led to the issue. This method is a lot helpful when it comes to finding the root cause of the problem. Systems thinking is all about finding the links between elements and considering how they interact and affect each other, this is when I apply forest thinking. Before I can come up with a conclusion and decide which initiative I am going to take, evaluating the information and testing it is necessary to lead me to the right decision.

Understanding systems thinking and applying it is important in the decision-making process. This made me realize and understand that to master systems thinking, I have to improve my critical thinking skills.

Reference

Richmond, B. (2016, August 16). The “Thinking” in Systems Thinking: How Can We Make It Easier to Master? - The Systems Thinker. The Systems Thinker. https://thesystemsthinker.com/the-thinking-in-systems-thinking-how-can-we-make-it-easier-to-master/

Goodman, M. (2016, August 16). Systems Thinking: What, Why, When, Where, and How? - The Systems Thinker. The Systems Thinker. https://thesystemsthinker.com/systems-thinking-what-why-when-where-and-how/

English Plus - Skills | Critical ThinkingExplore the importance of critical thinking in problem-solving, decision-making, and strategic planning. Learn how analytical and creative thinking contribute to effective solutions and long-term success in personal and professional contexts. Discover key takeaways, FAQs, and myth-busting insights about critical thinking. Find the transcript on our website https://englishpluspodcast.com/mastering-critical-thinking-essential-skills-for-decision-making-and-innovation/ Support the showSupport our mission to keep creating high-quality educational and entertaining content available to everyone around the world. Become my patron on Patreon today and unlock a world of learning and knowledge through exclusive premium episodes, audio and video series/courses. And never stop learning with the myriad of topics and content types that I add daily to my website englishpluspodcast.com Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/english-plus--6101670/support.

Artifact 2

This podcast is a podcast from Freakonomic M.Dpodcasts.google.com/search/Freakonomics%20Health. It goes through the importance of critical thinking in making life decisions. I uploaded this artifact because I have it has all the key components that can make me a better critical thinker. Being a critical thinker as well as a systems thinker contributes significantly in decision-making.

Artifact Reflection

This podcast has made me question my critical thinking abilities in a way that scared me. It made me realize that we were never taught how to critical think in our high school years, but rather to cram. Due to this realization, I took interest on how to improve my critical thinking skills.

Critical thinking starts by questioning every information that is given to you and not taking things at face value. A strategy on how to initiate critical thinking in a situation is to ask the 5 " why" questions, this enables you look at the root cause which make it easier to make a decision. While in the decision-making process, it is important to be fully aware of our cognitive biases. What caught my attention the anchoring bias, which is when we tend to focus on the first piece of information that we receive. For instance, when a doctor diagnoses a patient and he/she relies on the first few symptoms and already decides that the patient has a particular disease without considering other options.

This video has taught me that being a critical thinker does not only refer to coming up with information but also being able to accept information. These are important in being a responsive decision-maker a they cloud my judgement.

Ethics & PsychologyEthics and Psychology is a podcast focusing on improving the quality of psychological care through education. The podcast will cover a wide range of issues, blending ethics, morality, philosophy, and research to improve the knowledge base of listeners.

Artifact 3

The podcast and the video are about making ethical decisions when you are a healthcare professional. The podcast outlines the differences between ethical and clinical decision-making, the Acculturation model, and the five foundational principles of ethical decision-making. I included them because the me shape my judgment of things.

Reflection

In this podcast I learned the difference between ethical decision-making and Clinical decision-making. Ethical decision-making is about choosing what's wrong and right based on core personal values and morals. It is about making decisions that will be fair to everyone involved. This competency determines what kind of a doctor you are. Clinical decision-making is more about searching for the best way to treat a patient based on their health issue.

The video is about 5 basic principles and steps to making ethical decisions. The five principles of ethical decision-making include value of life, goodness, justice, autonomy and honesty.

I believe that being a good doctor requires you to make ethical decisions. Having good ethics also reflects on your own values and morals, it also makes you a reliable doctor.

Reference

Psychology, E. (n.d.). Ethics & Psychology - Episode 4: Ethical Decision-making (Part 1). Google Podcasts. https://podcasts.google.com/feed

REFLECTION

Medicine is a really interesting course that is diverse. While med school prepares you with the knowledge that you are going to use as future doctors, it also enables you to develop some competencies that you need to be a better generation of doctors. Competency is a set of traits, skills, and behaviors that allow you to perform tasks and performances, delivering excellence. As an aspiring doctor, developing a competency of good ethical responsive decision-making is crucial as the decision that I make may better or risk an individual’s life.

In artifact one, I learned the systems thinker method, which is also divided into seven critical thinking skills that I have to apply when using the systems thinker method. The systems thinking approach is taking an interdisciplinary approach and holistic thinking, in which we integrate different views to obtain a comprehensive understanding of complex issues. We get to understand and see how a system is connected to another system and apply critical thinking. Personally, being a systems thinker broadens my view of things and leads to better judgment and decision-making.

Systems thinking can be a useful tool for diagnosing patients in the medical field. It becomes a structured strategy for conducting a more thorough and accurate evaluation of issues before taking action and treating the patient. The use of casual loop diagrams as a way of representing a system is a way of learning how to be a systems thinker. Casual loop diagrams show how different components of a system interact with each other and how they affect one another.

Being a university student made me realize that critical thinking is not a skill that I can confidently say I possess. This is due to being used to cramming in high school and our critical thinking skills were not challenged. Critical thinking is the ability to grasp, assess, and analyze available facts and information in order to make a decision. It involves asking questions and not taking anything at face value, evaluating arguments, problem-solving, and decision-making.

Critical thinking in the decision-making process is being able to carefully analyze and evaluate information to make decisions. During this process, it is important to be aware of cognitive biases that hinder us from critical thinking. Anchoring bias is a bias that occurs when we are heavily reliant on the first piece of information that we get and try to draw conclusions based on that information. Another one is confirmation bias, which involves searching for information that confirms our existing beliefs or opinions, preventing us from considering other options. These biases stood out to me because they clouded my judgment during my high school years, I used to believe what the teacher said without questioning anything. Therefore developing this competency is essential for me as a student and a future doctor.

To develop my critical thinking skills, it is important to ask questions about the information given and challenge my understanding. I have to critically evaluate information, this includes checking the credibility and reliability of the source, evaluating arguments and claims, and considering the biases and evidence. I am an open-minded person, therefore engaging in discussions with people who have different views and beliefs and come from different backgrounds is one way to enhance my critical thinking skills. I possess strong problem-solving skills, but I understand that there is always a room for improvement.

While being a systems thinker and a critical thinker is important for making decisions, ethics also play an important part. Ethical decision-making involves weighing options under moral standards and principles. In the medical profession, ethical decisions prioritize the well-being of patients. It promotes the well-being of patients and ensures their legal rights are respected. As a psychologist, ethical decision-making might involve not sharing your opinion and thoughts about a person's situation, no matter how disturbing the situation is. By limiting risks, avoiding unnecessary procedures, and valuing patient autonomy during the decision-making process, ethical decision-making helps protect patients from harm. Fairness and equity are encouraged in the provision of healthcare through ethical decision-making. This guarantees equal access of resources and the provision of quality care to all patients, irrespective of where they come from or their financial status.

Ethical decision-making contributes significantly to making responsive decisions. As a doctor, it is important to have good ethics because most times, you will be working with people from different backgrounds and different races. Developing this competency requires me to determine the issue, outline values and guiding principles, come up with and assess alternatives, reach a choice, carry it out, and keep an eye on it are all steps in the ethical decision-making process. It entails obtaining data, comprehending one's personal and society's values, taking stakeholders' interests into account, and balancing the advantages and disadvantages of each choice. The choice must be well-thought-out, morally sound, and take into account any possible effects. Implementing the decision and keeping an eye on it to make sure it stays ethical is the last step. Making ethical decisions requires keeping lines of communication open, taking into account other viewpoints, and thinking through the implications of decisions.

Making morally right decisions as a medical expert is not only a professional objective but also a moral requirement. It calls for a strong foundation in medical knowledge as well as critical thinking, systems thinking, and ethical frameworks for making decisions. While critical thinking enables objective analysis and decision-making, systems thinking aids in the understanding of interrelated healthcare systems. Patient welfare, justice, and honesty are given first priority while making ethical decisions, which calls for ongoing reflection and a dedication to sustaining moral principles. This holistic approach helps to create a healthcare system that puts the health and trust of its patients first.

As time poses a threat to growth, I understand that the first responsive decision that I have to make is time management. Effective time management allows decision-makers to prioritize tasks, reduce stress, set deadlines, assess opportunities and risks, adapt to changing circumstances, communicate effectively, optimize resources, mitigate risks, and drive continuous improvement.

In conclusion, the key competency I have to focus on is my critical thinking skills, as I believe they are what I need to develop areas that contribute to responsive decision-making.

References

Time management: Time is of the Essence: How Time Management Impacts Decision making - FasterCapital. (n.d.). FasterCapital. https://fastercapital.com/content/Time-management--Time-is-of-the-Essence--How-Time-Management-Impacts-Decision-making.html

Bensla, A. (2023, August 22). 6 Step Process For Ethical Decision Making: A Guide with Examples - Risely. Risely. https://www.risely.me/all-you-need-to-know-about-ethical-decision-making/

Staff, C. (2023, December 1). What Are Critical Thinking Skills and Why Are They Important? Coursera. https://www.coursera.org/articles/critical-thinking-skills

Psychology, E. (n.d.). Ethics & Psychology - Episode 4: Ethical Decision-making (Part 1). Google Podcasts. https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9ldGhpY2FscHN5Y2hvbG9neS5saWJzeW4uY29tL3Jzcw/episode/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5wb2RjYXN0Z2FyZGVuLmNvbS9lcGlzb2RlL2VwaXNvZGUtNC1ldGhpY2FsLWRlY2lzaW9uLW1ha2luZy1wYXJ0LTFfMTMxNjU?sa=X&ved=0CAUQkfYCahkKEwiA693_woKFAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQ16sC

Staff, C. (2023, December 1). What Are Critical Thinking Skills and Why Are They Important? Coursera. https://www.coursera.org/articles/critical-thinking-skills

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