Case studies are an evitable part of nursing education. These projects allow nursing students to understand the concepts of health assessment better, define factual information about the patient, and prepare for the licensure examination.
A case study will teach you how to conduct a comprehensive health assessment, including physical, psychological, and social evaluations. To complete the case study successfully, you must combine your theoretical knowledge and practical skills to advance as a professional nurse. For example, spinal stenosis is a term that expresses low back pain. But knowing the term is not enough; you must understand the main symptoms, how this condition occurs, and related conditions that may clarify your patient’s health.
As a nursing student, you may feel confused with case studies, as it requires in-depth and critical analysis thinking from you. If you have faced this type of assignment for the first time, you can use a case study writing service to get a clear idea of how the paper should be written. A licensed nurse will perform writing and deliver a professional-looking paper.
You will be assigned to solve various case studies during your nursing course. Typically, there are two types of nursing case studies:
• Traditional case study. This kind often comprises a patient’s scenario as well as a list of questions that need to be addressed.
• Unfolding case study. It’s quite a new type of case study. The task usually presents a patient scenario with evolution details. Students must evaluate and re-evaluate the patient’s condition based on the offered scenario, care plan, and rationale.
7 Steps to Write a Nursing Case Study
Step 1
Read out the case carefully. Just after you have read the text, think about the situation. How does the case influence your patient? Does it influence the care plan? How does the received information affect the priorities of care and implementation?
Step 2
Evaluate the case. Don’t rush into writing a practice section. You need to analyze subjective and objective data to be able to make a patient’s health assessment and draw up a plan. You may be able to see possible difficulties and advantages in the treatment of the patient by thinking back on the scenario described in the case. Your capacity for critical thinking and the quality of your patient care decision-making may be improved by proper evaluation.
Step 3
Understand the questions. You need to figure out every word to receive the correct answer. Try to rephrase the question and underline keywords to grasp the main idea. Moreover, you may need to clarify and search for more information to understand the question better. It can also be beneficial to divide difficult questions into manageable chunks and respond to each separately.
Step 4
Answer a “So what” question. It’s essential to improve your critical thinking skills and retention of key information. We advise you to additionally use external resources such as textbooks or evidence-based search engines to clarify any uncertainties and deepen your understanding of the subject matter. Take notes while evaluating to identify key moments to consider when answering the question and be helpful when making conclusions.
Step 5
Take a new stance. Now it’s time to reread the text of the case and relate all information you have to the situation. Do new key points influence the health care plan? What has changed? After responding to questions, thinking back on the patient description may offer fresh perspectives that weren’t initially obvious. This task can help improve patient care and develop your clinical reasoning abilities.
Step 6
Consider future outcomes. After you have driven the conclusion, it’s time to reflect on how the care plan will influence the trajectory of patients’ care. How will it affect your patient? To avoid problems and enhance results, you must proactively adapt your care strategy by predicting possible changes in the patient’s state.
Step 7
Organize your answers. Some nursing schools and colleges give templates that students should just fill in. At the same time, others ask for more formal writing. To write answers to your case study, read out the requirements for paper design. It might include the referencing style (typically APA), length, and required sections.
Tips for Writing a Nursing Case Study
Plan your time. Dedicate enough time to work on the case study. You may need to do additional research and organize your writing.
Don’t get frustrated. When you don’t know the answer, don’t try to find the perfect or ideal solution. Define the room for your growth and define your knowledge gaps.
Format your paper. Organize your references and citations according to the required formatting style.
Proofread and edit. Spelling and grammar errors can spoil even a perfect answer. Some professors don’t mind mistakes, while others may lower your mark.
Self-evaluate your performance on the case. It’s highly important to find your areas of strength and weakness. If you wish to grow personally and professionally, take some time to reflect on your case performance.
Wrapping Up
Working on case studies may be overwhelming, but it will be much easier with the proper guidance and your effort. Keep in mind to take pauses and get assistance when necessary. Don’t be afraid to edit and rewrite your work to get the best results.
