AIM:This paper presents a literature review conducted to establish what was already known about critical reflection in the nursing literature and what work had been done on using a critical social theory framework as the basis for critical reflection. BACKGROUND:Critical thinking emerged as a significant aspect of nursing education and practice in the late 1980s. It has been promoted as a means by which issues in clinical practice can be examined through a systematic process of exploration and reasoning. Traditionally, critical thinking has commonly involved an attempt to link practice with theory using a scenario or exemplar from practice to illustrate a practice dilemma. This process is often constructed as a retrospective narrative of events. This paper provides a deconstructive-reconstructive approach that differs from some traditional approaches by taking a critical social theory perspective with an emphasis on improving practice. METHODS:The nursing literature reviewed was accessed through Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL). The search was restricted to English language and published between 1995 and 2005. Based on these findings, we developed a postgraduate advanced mental health nursing programme. FINDINGS:There were 490 articles related to 'nursing' and 'critical thinking'; 34 articles related to 'nursing' and 'critical reflection'; 23 articles related to 'nursing' and 'critical social theory'; 15 articles related to 'mental health nursing' and 'critical thinking'; and two articles related to 'mental health nursing' and 'critical reflection'. In the programme we developed based on these findings, students were facilitated to deconstruct concepts and knowledge integral to their own practice. In the reconstructive phase, students implement a change project in clinical practice, supported by a mentor. CONCLUSION:The deconstructive-reconstructive approach to the development of critical thinking skills provides advanced practitioner with the opportunity to integrate practice, theory and research.