Accelerated transitional nursing programs (ATNPs) designed specifically for licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) to transition to become registered nurses (RNs) are graduating novice nurses who need critical thinking skills to solve patient problems. The health care industry and patient outcomes depend on graduate nurses to be proficient with quality care at the bedside. The qualitative evaluative case study involved determining how critical thinking skill acquisition for nursing students and new graduates is integrated throughout a curriculum through the didactics of an ATNP in Northern California. The evaluation of an ATNP included Benner's novice to expert theory, Bloom's taxonomy, and Facione's California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI). The study questions helped discover influential forms of critical thinking skill, the perceived efficacy of an ATNP producing graduates with sound critical thinking skills, and the impact of the accountability nursing educators place in educating novice nurses. The evaluated data resources included 952 learning objectives and learning modules, 48 participant interviews, and a participant inventory of disposition toward critical thinking. The evaluated learning objectives and modules found that the approach to critical thinking skills are present at a lower order of thinking (47%) and a higher order of thinking (53%). Interviews analyzed with QSR NVivo10 produced themes for the critical thinking skill acquisition of ATNPs. The disposition and accountability that nursing educators have about teaching critical thinking skills to novice nurses through effective leadership will impact the health care industry by guiding students to become higher functioning and safe practicing nursing graduates. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]