Teaching theoretical thinking for a sense of salience.

Using a thought-provoking photograph, blank paper, and a series of questions, graduate students were asked to engage in an interactive classroom exercise that helps them understand the process and usefulness of theoretical thinking. This one-time exercise helps students envision ways they will be able to use theoretical thinking when they enter their advanced practice roles. The exercise is followed by a short, debriefing lecture on the four levels of theory as originally described by Dickoff, James, and Weidenbach. Students engage in a four-stage, systematic process of theoretical thinking that can be used as a model for clinical reasoning and problem solving, especially for ambiguous situations.