general objectives case study nursing

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How to Present a Nursing Case Study

What Is a Case Study in Nursing?

A nursing case study is an in-depth examination of a situation that a nurse encounters in her daily practice. The case study offers a safe way for the nurse to apply theoretical and actual knowledge to an actual or potential patient scenario. She can employ her decision-making skills, use critical thinking to analyze the situation, and develop cognitive reasoning abilities without harming a patient. Nursing case studies are commonly used in undergraduate nursing programs, graduate schools offering a master’s of science degree in nursing (MSN), and orientation programs for new graduate nurses. They may be presented in written form, online, or live in a classroom setting.

Choose a topic. According to Sigma Theta Tau International, the topic should be focused, based in reality, and relevant. It should demonstrate current best practices that are supported by nursing research. The nurse may choose to discuss a situation from his past experience, or delve into something in his current job.

Write objectives. There should be at least three learning objectives, or outcomes, that identify what the learner will gain from completing the case study. Learning objectives are written as clear, measurable behaviors, such as “Identify five risk factors for falls in older adults.”

Write an introduction. This should be a one- or two-paragraph overview that describes the patient, the situation, and circumstances relevant to that situation. The introduction can also include a little about the patient’s history leading up to the situation.

Integrate more history and background. The next 1 to 2 paragraphs provide the learner with in-depth information to analyze the situation, such as lab values, diagnostic study results, findings from the nurse’s assessment of the patient, and a more detailed patient history.

Formulate questions. Nursing case studies are interactive scenarios that stimulate analysis and critical thinking. The questions typically require the learner to use the nursing process (assessment, nursing diagnosis, planning, intervention, and evaluation) and to anticipate what will happen next in the situation.

Give feedback. According to Sigma Theta Tau, the nursing case study provides the learner with two types of feedback: informational and reinforcing. Informational feedback lets the learner know if she has answered questions correctly, and gives her an idea of how she is progressing through the patient scenario. Reinforcing feedback gives the learner additional information about her responses to the questions. If she answers the question correctly, she’ll be given the rationale behind her right answer. If she gives the wrong answer, reinforcing feedback lets her know why that answer is wrong.

Provide references. It’s important to point the learner toward additional learning opportunities in print or on the web.

How to become a continuing education provider for nurses, how to study for fundamentals of nursing.

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Sigma Theta Tau International

Sandy Keefe, M.S.N., R.N., has been a freelance writer for over five years. Her articles have appeared in numerous health-related magazines, including "Advance for Nurses" and "Advance for Long-Term Care Management." She has written short stories in anthologies such as "A Cup of Comfort for Parents of Children with Special Needs."

Creating a Patient-Centered Case Study

First Online: 25 August 2023

Cite this chapter

Jennifer Holl 5 ,
Lisa Wesinger 6 ,
Judi Gentes 7 ,
Carissa Morton 8 &
Jean Coffey 9

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Case studies provide an invaluable record of professional clinical practice and have been used in medicine since the late 1800s to describe both traditional and unusual presentations of specific disease pathologies. In medicine, case studies traditionally take a detached, objective approach to outlining the clinical course of a disease and its treatment. In keeping with the holistic approach to patient care found in nursing and using the theoretical foundations established in Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring as well as the Relationship-Based Care Model, this research team sought to revolutionize the case study paradigm and deconstruct the traditional case study approach, placing the patient, instead of the provider, at the center of the narrative. This new case study method intercalates the clinicians’ analysis of the case with the patient’s commentary. This chapter outlines the methods and theoretical underpinnings used to create a patient-centered case study and seeks to provide nurses with a creative alternative to the traditional, objective case study approach. Implications for future research include whether using patient-centered case studies, instead of traditional case studies, provide a valuable learning tool to educate nurses.

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Hematology/Oncology, Dartmouth Health, Lebanon, NH, USA

Jennifer Holl

Transplant and Cellular Therapy, Dartmouth Health, Lebanon, NH, USA

Lisa Wesinger

Oncology/Hematology, Dartmouth Health, Lebanon, NH, USA

Judi Gentes

Dartmouth Health, Dartmouth Cancer Center, St. Johnsbury, VT, USA

Carissa Morton

School of Nursing, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA

Jean Coffey

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Holl, J., Wesinger, L., Gentes, J., Morton, C., Coffey, J. (2023). Creating a Patient-Centered Case Study. In: Coffey, J., Hill Jr., J.M., Long, T., McGrath, E.B. (eds) Patients’ Lived Experiences During the Transplant and Cellular Therapy Journey. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-25602-8_2

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Health Case Studies

(29 reviews)

Glynda Rees, British Columbia Institute of Technology

Rob Kruger, British Columbia Institute of Technology

Janet Morrison, British Columbia Institute of Technology

Publisher: BCcampus

Language: English

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Reviewed by Jessica Sellars, Medical assistant office instructor, Blue Mountain Community College on 10/11/23

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This is a book of compiled and very well organized patient case studies. The author has broken it up by disease patient was experiencing and even the healthcare roles that took place in this patients care. There is a well thought out direction and plan. There is an appendix to refer to as well if you are needing to find something specific quickly. I have been looking for something like this to help my students have a base to do their project on. This is the most comprehensive version I have found on the subject.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

This is a book compiled of medical case studies. It is very accurate and can be used to learn from great care and mistakes.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

This material is very relevant in this context. It also has plenty of individual case studies to utilize in many ways in all sorts of medical courses. This is a very useful textbook and it will continue to be useful for a very long time as you can still learn from each study even if medicine changes through out the years.

Clarity rating: 5

The author put a lot of thought into the ease of accessibility and reading level of the target audience. There is even a "how to use this resource" section which could be extremely useful to students.

Consistency rating: 5

The text follows a very consistent format throughout the book.

Modularity rating: 5

Each case study is individual broken up and in a group of similar case studies. This makes it extremely easy to utilize.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The book is very organized and the appendix is through. It flows seamlessly through each case study.

Interface rating: 5

I had no issues navigating this book, It was clearly labeled and very easy to move around in.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I did not catch any grammar errors as I was going through the book

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

This is a challenging question for any medical textbook. It is very culturally relevant to those in medical or medical office degrees.

I have been looking for something like this for years. I am so happy to have finally found it.

Reviewed by Cindy Sun, Assistant Professor, Marshall University on 1/7/23

Interestingly, this is not a case of ‘you get what you pay for’. Instead, not only are the case studies organized in a fashion for ease of use through a detailed table of contents, the authors have included more support for both faculty and students. For faculty, the introduction section titled ‘How to use this resource’ and individual notes to educators before each case study contain application tips. An appendix overview lists key elements as issues / concepts, scenario context, and healthcare roles for each case study. For students, learning objectives are presented at the beginning of each case study to provide a framework of expectations.

The content is presented accurately and realistic.

The case studies read similar to ‘A Day In the Life of…’ with detailed intraprofessional communications similar to what would be overheard in patient care areas. The authors present not only the view of the patient care nurse, but also weave interprofessional vantage points through each case study by including patient interaction with individual professionals such as radiology, physician, etc.

In addition to objective assessment findings, the authors integrate standard orders for each diagnosis including medications, treatments, and tests allowing the student to incorporate pathophysiology components to their assessments.

Each case study is arranged in the same framework for consistency and ease of use.

This compilation of eight healthcare case studies focusing on new onset and exacerbation of prevalent diagnoses, such as heart failure, deep vein thrombosis, cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease advancing to pneumonia.

Each case study has a photo of the ‘patient’. Simple as this may seem, it gives an immediate mental image for the student to focus.

Interface rating: 4

As noted by previous reviewers, most of the links do not connect active web pages. This may be due to the multiple options for accessing this resource (pdf download, pdf electronic, web view, etc.).

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

A minor weakness that faculty will probably need to address prior to use is regarding specific term usages differences between Commonwealth countries and United States, such as lung sound descriptors as ‘quiet’ in place of ‘diminished’ and ‘puffers’ in place of ‘inhalers’.

The authors have provided a multicultural, multigenerational approach in selection of patient characteristics representing a snapshot of today’s patient population. Additionally, one case study focusing on heart failure is about a middle-aged adult, contrasting to the average aged patient the students would normally see during clinical rotations. This option provides opportunities for students to expand their knowledge on risk factors extending beyond age.

This resource is applicable to nursing students learning to care for patients with the specific disease processes presented in each case study or for the leadership students focusing on intraprofessional communication. Educators can assign as a supplement to clinical experiences or as an in-class application of knowledge.

Reviewed by Stephanie Sideras, Assistant Professor, University of Portland on 8/15/22

The eight case studies included in this text addressed high frequency health alterations that all nurses need to be able to manage competently. While diabetes was not highlighted directly, it was included as a potential comorbidity. The five overarching learning objectives pulled from the Institute of Medicine core competencies will clearly resonate with any faculty familiar with Quality and Safety Education for Nurses curriculum.

The presentation of symptoms, treatments and management of the health alterations was accurate. Dialogue between the the interprofessional team was realistic. At times the formatting of lab results was confusing as they reflected reference ranges specific to the Canadian healthcare system but these occurrences were minimal and could be easily adapted.

The focus for learning from these case studies was communication - patient centered communication and interprofessional team communication. Specific details, such as drug dosing, was minimized, which increases longevity and allows for easy individualization of the case data.

While some vocabulary was specific to the Canadian healthcare system, overall the narrative was extremely engaging and easy to follow. Subjective case data from patient or provider were formatted in italics and identified as 'thoughts'. Objective and behavioral case data were smoothly integrated into the narrative.

The consistency of formatting across the eight cases was remarkable. Specific learning objectives are identified for each case and these remain consistent across the range of cases, varying only in the focus for the goals for each different health alterations. Each case begins with presentation of essential patient background and the progress across the trajectory of illness as the patient moves from location to location encountering different healthcare professionals. Many of the characters (the triage nurse in the Emergency Department, the phlebotomist) are consistent across the case situations. These consistencies facilitate both application of a variety of teaching methods and student engagement with the situated learning approach.

Case data is presented by location and begins with the patient's first encounter with the healthcare system. This allows for an examination of how specific trajectories of illness are manifested and how care management needs to be prioritized at different stages. This approach supports discussions of care transitions and the complexity of the associated interprofessional communication.

The text is well organized. The case that has two levels of complexity is clearly identified

The internal links between the table of contents and case specific locations work consistently. In the EPUB and the Digital PDF the external hyperlinks are inconsistently valid.

The grammatical errors were minimal and did not detract from readability

Cultural diversity is present across the cases in factors including race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, family dynamics and sexual orientation.

The level of detail included in these cases supports a teaching approach to address all three spectrums of learning - knowledge, skills and attitudes - necessary for the development of competent practice. I also appreciate the inclusion of specific assessment instruments that would facilitate a discussion of evidence based practice. I will enjoy using these case to promote clinical reasoning discussions of data that is noticed and interpreted with the resulting prioritizes that are set followed by reflections that result from learner choices.

Reviewed by Chris Roman, Associate Professor, Butler University on 5/19/22

It would be extremely difficult for a book of clinical cases to comprehensively cover all of medicine, and this text does not try. Rather, it provides cases related to common medical problems and introduces them in a way that allows for various... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

The narrative form of the cases is less subject to issues of accuracy than a more content-based book would be. That said, the cases are realistic and reasonable, avoiding being too mundane or too extreme.

These cases are narrative and do not include many specific mentions of drugs, dosages, or other aspects of clinical care that may grow/evolve as guidelines change. For this reason, the cases should be “evergreen” and can be modified to suit different types of learners.

Clarity rating: 4

The text is written in very accessible language and avoids heavy use of technical language. Depending on the level of learner, this might even be too simplistic and omit some details that would be needed for physicians, pharmacists, and others to make nuanced care decisions.

The format is very consistent with clear labeling at transition points.

The authors point out in the introductory materials that this text is designed to be used in a modular fashion. Further, they have built in opportunities to customize each cases, such as giving dates of birth at “19xx” to allow for adjustments based on instructional objectives, etc.

The organization is very easy to follow.

I did not identify any issues in navigating the text.

The text contains no grammatical errors, though the language is a little stiff/unrealistic in some cases.

Cases involve patients and members of the care team that are of varying ages, genders, and racial/ethnic backgrounds

Reviewed by Trina Larery, Assistant Professor, Pittsburg State University on 4/5/22

The book covers common scenarios, providing allied health students insight into common health issues. The information in the book is thorough and easily modified if needed to include other scenarios not listed. The material was easy to understand... read more

Content Accuracy rating: 4

The treatments were explained and rationales were given, which can be very helpful to facilitate effective learning for a nursing student or novice nurse. The case studies were accurate in explanation. The DVT case study incorrectly identifies the location of the clot in the popliteal artery instead of in the vein.

The content is relevant to a variety of different types of health care providers and due to the general nature of the cases, will remain relevant over time. Updates should be made annually to the hyperlinks and to assure current standard of practice is still being met.

Clear, simple and easy to read.

Consistent with healthcare terminology and framework throughout all eight case studies.

The text is modular. Cases can be used individually within a unit on the given disease process or relevant sections of a case could be used to illustrate a specific point providing great flexibility. The appendix is helpful in locating content specific to a certain diagnosis or a certain type of health care provider.

The book is well organized, presenting in a logical clear fashion. The appendix allows the student to move about the case study without difficulty.

The interface is easy and simple to navigate. Some links to external sources might need to be updated regularly since those links are subject to change based on current guidelines. A few hyperlinks had "page not found".

Few grammatical errors were noted in text.

The case studies include people of different ethnicities, socioeconomic status, ages, and genders to make this a very useful book.

I enjoyed reading the text. It was interesting and relevant to today's nursing student. There are roughly 25 broken online links or "pages not found", care needs to be taken to update at least annually and assure links are valid and utilizing the most up to date information.

Reviewed by Benjamin Silverberg, Associate Professor/Clinician, West Virginia University on 3/24/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 3 see less

The appendix reviews the "key roles" and medical venues found in all 8 cases, but is fairly spartan on medical content. The table of contents at the beginning only lists the cases and locations of care. It can be a little tricky to figure out what is going on where, especially since each case is largely conversation-based. Since this presents 8 cases (really 7 with one being expanded upon), there are many medical topics (and venues) that are not included. It's impossible to include every kind of situation, but I'd love to see inclusion of sexual health, renal pathology, substance abuse, etc.

Though there are differences in how care can be delivered based on personal style, changing guidelines, available supplies, etc, the medical accuracy seems to be high. I did not detect bias or industry influence.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

Medications are generally listed as generics, with at least current dosing recommendations. The text gives a picture of what care looks like currently, but will be a little challenging to update based on new guidelines (ie, it can be hard to find the exact page in which a medication is dosed/prescribed). Even if the text were to be a little out of date, an instructor can use that to point out what has changed (and why).

Clear text, usually with definitions of medical slang or higher-tier vocabulary. Minimal jargon and there are instances where the "characters" are sorting out the meaning as well, making it accessible for new learners, too.

Overall, the style is consistent between cases - largely broken up into scenes and driven by conversation rather than descriptions of what is happening.

There are 8 (well, again, 7) cases which can be reviewed in any order. Case #2 builds upon #1, which is intentional and a good idea, though personally I would have preferred one case to have different possible outcomes or even a recurrence of illness. Each scene within a case is reasonably short.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

These cases are modular and don't really build on concepts throughout. As previously stated, case #2 builds upon #1, but beyond that, there is no progression. (To be sure, the authors suggest using case #1 for newer learners and #2 for more advanced ones.) The text would benefit from thematic grouping, a longer introduction and debriefing for each case (there are learning objectives but no real context in medical education nor questions to reflect on what was just read), and progressively-increasing difficulty in medical complexity, ethics, etc.

I used the PDF version and had no interface issues. There are minimal photographs and charts. Some words are marked in blue but those did not seem to be hyperlinked anywhere.

No noticeable errors in grammar, spelling, or formatting were noted.

I appreciate that some diversity of age and ethnicity were offered, but this could be improved. There were Canadian Indian and First Nations patients, for example, as well as other characters with implied diversity, but there didn't seem to be any mention of gender diverse or non-heterosexual people, or disabilities. The cases tried to paint family scenes (the first patient's dog was fairly prominently mentioned) to humanize them. Including more cases would allow for more opportunities to include sex/gender minorities, (hidden) disabilities, etc.

The text (originally from 2017) could use an update. It could be used in conjunction with other Open Texts, as a compliment to other coursework, or purely by itself. The focus is meant to be on improving communication, but there are only 3 short pages at the beginning of the text considering those issues (which are really just learning objectives). In addition to adding more cases and further diversity, I personally would love to see more discussion before and after the case to guide readers (and/or instructors). I also wonder if some of the ambiguity could be improved by suggesting possible health outcomes - this kind of counterfactual comparison isn't possible in real life and could be really interesting in a text. Addition of comprehension/discussion questions would also be worthwhile.

Reviewed by Danielle Peterson, Assistant Professor, University of Saint Francis on 12/31/21

This text provides readers with 8 case studies which include both chronic and acute healthcare issues. Although not comprehensive in regard to types of healthcare conditions, it provides a thorough look at the communication between healthcare workers in acute hospital settings. The cases are primarily set in the inpatient hospital setting, so the bulk of the clinical information is basic emergency care and inpatient protocol: vitals, breathing, medication management, etc. The text provides a table of contents at opening of the text and a handy appendix at the conclusion of the text that outlines each case’s issue(s), scenario, and healthcare roles. No index or glossary present.

Although easy to update, it should be noted that the cases are taking place in a Canadian healthcare system. Terms may be unfamiliar to some students including “province,” “operating theatre,” “physio/physiotherapy,” and “porter.” Units of measurement used include Celsius and meters. Also, the issue of managed care, health insurance coverage, and length of stay is missing for American students. These are primary issues that dictate much of the healthcare system in the US and a primary job function of social workers, nurse case managers, and medical professionals in general. However, instructors that wish to add this to the case studies could do so easily.

The focus of this text is on healthcare communication which makes it less likely to become obsolete. Much of the clinical information is stable healthcare practice that has been standard of care for quite some time. Nevertheless, given the nature of text, updates would be easy to make. Hyperlinks should be updated to the most relevant and trustworthy sources and checked frequently for effectiveness.

The spacing that was used to note change of speaker made for ease of reading. Although unembellished and plain, I expect students to find this format easy to digest and interesting, especially since the script is appropriately balanced with ‘human’ qualities like the current TV shows and songs, the use of humor, and nonverbal cues.

A welcome characteristic of this text is its consistency. Each case is presented in a similar fashion and the roles of the healthcare team are ‘played’ by the same character in each of the scenarios. This allows students to see how healthcare providers prioritize cases and juggle the needs of multiple patients at once. Across scenarios, there was inconsistency in when clinical terms were hyperlinked.

The text is easily divisible into smaller reading sections. However, since the nature of the text is script-narrative format, if significant reorganization occurs, one will need to make sure that the communication of the script still makes sense.

The text is straightforward and presented in a consistent fashion: learning objectives, case history, a script of what happened before the patient enters the healthcare setting, and a script of what happens once the patient arrives at the healthcare setting. The authors use the term, “ideal interactions,” and I would agree that these cases are in large part, ‘best case scenarios.’ Due to this, the case studies are well organized, clear, logical, and predictable. However, depending on the level of student, instructors may want to introduce complications that are typical in the hospital setting.

The interface is pleasing and straightforward. With exception to the case summary and learning objectives, the cases are in narrative, script format. Each case study supplies a photo of the ‘patient’ and one of the case studies includes a link to a 3-minute video that introduces the reader to the patient/case. One of the highlights of this text is the use of hyperlinks to various clinical practices (ABG, vital signs, transfer of patient). Unfortunately, a majority of the links are broken. However, since this is an open text, instructors can update the links to their preference.

Although not free from grammatical errors, those that were noticed were minimal and did not detract from reading.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

Cultural diversity is visible throughout the patients used in the case studies and includes factors such as age, race, socioeconomic status, family dynamics, and sexual orientation. A moderate level of diversity is noted in the healthcare team with some stereotypes: social workers being female, doctors primarily male.

As a social work instructor, I was grateful to find a text that incorporates this important healthcare role. I would have liked to have seen more content related to advance directives, mediating decision making between the patient and care team, emotional and practical support related to initial diagnosis and discharge planning, and provision of support to colleagues, all typical roles of a medical social worker. I also found it interesting that even though social work was included in multiple scenarios, the role was only introduced on the learning objectives page for the oncology case.

Reviewed by Crystal Wynn, Associate Professor, Virginia State University on 7/21/21

The text covers a variety of chronic diseases within the cases; however, not all of the common disease states were included within the text. More chronic diseases need to be included such as diabetes, cancer, and renal failure. Not all allied health care team members are represented within the case study. Key terms appear throughout the case study textbook and readers are able to click on a hyperlink which directs them to the definition and an explanation of the key term.

Content is accurate, error-free and unbiased.

The content is up-to-date, but not in a way that will quickly make the text obsolete within a short period of time. The text is written and/or arranged in such a way that necessary updates will be relatively easy and straightforward to implement.

The text is written in lucid, accessible prose, and provides adequate context for any jargon/technical terminology used

The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework.

The text is easily and readily divisible into smaller reading sections that can be assigned at different points within the course. Each case can be divided into a chronic disease state unit, which will allow the reader to focus on one section at a time.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 3

The topics in the text are presented in a logical manner. Each case provides an excessive amount of language that provides a description of the case. The cases in this text reads more like a novel versus a clinical textbook. The learning objectives listed within each case should be in the form of questions or activities that could be provided as resources for instructors and teachers.

Interface rating: 3

There are several hyperlinks embedded within the textbook that are not functional.

The text contains no grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. More examples of cultural inclusiveness is needed throughout the textbook. The cases should be indicative of individuals from a variety of races and ethnicities.

Reviewed by Rebecca Hillary, Biology Instructor, Portland Community College on 6/15/21

This textbook consists of a collection of clinical case studies that can be applicable to a wide range of learning environments from supplementing an undergraduate Anatomy and Physiology Course, to including as part of a Medical or other health care program. I read the textbook in E-reader format and this includes hyperlinks that bring the students to subsequent clinical study if the book is being used in a clinical classroom. This book is significantly more comprehensive in its approach from other case studies I have read because it provides a bird’s eye view of the many clinicians, technicians, and hospital staff working with one patient. The book also provides real time measurements for patients that change as they travel throughout the hospital until time of discharge.

Each case gave an accurate sense of the chaos that would be present in an emergency situation and show how the conditions affect the practitioners as well as the patients. The reader gets an accurate big picture--a feel for each practitioner’s point of view as well as the point of view of the patient and the patient’s family as the clock ticks down and the patients are subjected to a number of procedures. The clinical information contained in this textbook is all in hyperlinks containing references to clinical skills open text sources or medical websites. I did find one broken link on an external medical resource.

The diseases presented are relevant and will remain so. Some of the links are directly related to the Canadian Medical system so they may not be applicable to those living in other regions. Clinical links may change over time but the text itself will remain relevant.

Each case study clearly presents clinical data as is it recorded in real time.

Each case study provides the point of view of several practitioners and the patient over several days. While each of the case studies covers different pathology they all follow this same format, several points of view and data points, over a number of days.

The case studies are divided by days and this was easy to navigate as a reader. It would be easy to assign one case study per body system in an Anatomy and Physiology course, or to divide them up into small segments for small in class teaching moments.

The topics are presented in an organized way showing clinical data over time and each case presents a large number of view points. For example, in the first case study, the patient is experiencing difficulty breathing. We follow her through several days from her entrance to the emergency room. We meet her X Ray Technicians, Doctor, Nurses, Medical Assistant, Porter, Physiotherapist, Respiratory therapist, and the Lab Technicians running her tests during her stay. Each practitioner paints the overall clinical picture to the reader.

I found the text easy to navigate. There were not any figures included in the text, only clinical data organized in charts. The figures were all accessible via hyperlink. Some figures within the textbook illustrating patient scans could have been helpful but I did not have trouble navigating the links to visualize the scans.

I did not see any grammatical errors in the text.

The patients in the text are a variety of ages and have a variety of family arrangements but there is not much diversity among the patients. Our seven patients in the eight case studies are mostly white and all cis gendered.

Some of the case studies, for example the heart failure study, show clinical data before and after drug treatments so the students can get a feel for mechanism in physiological action. I also liked that the case studies included diet and lifestyle advice for the patients rather than solely emphasizing these pharmacological interventions. Overall, I enjoyed reading through these case studies and I plan to utilize them in my Anatomy and Physiology courses.

Reviewed by Richard Tarpey, Assistant Professor, Middle Tennessee State University on 5/11/21

As a case study book, there is no index or glossary. However, medical and technical terms provide a useful link to definitions and explanations that will prove useful to students unfamiliar with the terms. The information provided is appropriate for entry-level health care students. The book includes important health problems, but I would like to see coverage of at least one more chronic/lifestyle issue such as diabetes. The book covers adult issues only.

Content is accurate without bias

The content of the book is relevant and up-to-date. It addresses conditions that are prevalent in today's population among adults. There are no pediatric cases, but this does not significantly detract from the usefulness of the text. The format of the book lends to easy updating of data or information.

The book is written with clarity and is easy to read. The writing style is accessible and technical terminology is explained with links to more information.

Consistency is present. Lack of consistency is typically a problem with case study texts, but this book is consistent with presentation, format, and terminology throughout each of the eight cases.

The book has high modularity. Each of the case studies can be used independently from the others providing flexibility. Additionally, each case study can be partitioned for specific learning objectives based on the learning objectives of the course or module.

The book is well organized, presenting students conceptually with differing patient flow patterns through a hospital. The patient information provided at the beginning of each case is a wonderful mechanism for providing personal context for the students as they consider the issues. Many case studies focus on the problem and the organization without students getting a patient's perspective. The patient perspective is well represented in these cases.

The navigation through the cases is good. There are some terminology and procedure hyperlinks within the cases that do not work when accessed. This is troubling if you intend to use the text for entry-level health care students since many of these links are critical for a full understanding of the case.

There are some non-US variants of spelling and a few grammatical errors, but these do not detract from the content of the messages of each case.

The book is inclusive of differing backgrounds and perspectives. No insensitive or offensive references were found.

I like this text for its application flexibility. The book is useful for non-clinical healthcare management students to introduce various healthcare-related concepts and terminology. The content is also helpful for the identification of healthcare administration managerial issues for students to consider. The book has many applications.

Reviewed by Paula Baldwin, Associate Professor/Communication Studies, Western Oregon University on 5/10/21

The different case studies fall on a range, from crisis care to chronic illness care. read more

The different case studies fall on a range, from crisis care to chronic illness care.

The contents seems to be written as they occurred to represent the most complete picture of each medical event's occurence.

These case studies are from the Canadian medical system, but that does not interfere with it's applicability.

It is written for a medical audience, so the terminology is mostly formal and technical.

Some cases are shorter than others and some go in more depth, but it is not problematic.

The eight separate case studies is the perfect size for a class in the quarter system. You could combine this with other texts, videos or learning modalities, or use it alone.

As this is a case studies book, there is not a need for a logical progression in presentation of topics.

No problems in terms of interface.

I have not seen any grammatical errors.

I did not see anything that was culturally insensitive.

I used this in a Health Communication class and it has been extraordinarily successful. My studies are analyzing the messaging for the good, the bad, and the questionable. The case studies are widely varied and it gives the class insights into hospital experiences, both front and back stage, that they would not normally be able to examine. I believe that because it is based real-life medical incidents, my students are finding the material highly engaging.

Reviewed by Marlena Isaac, Instructor, Aiken Technical College on 4/23/21

This text is great to walk through patient care with entry level healthcare students. The students are able to take in the information, digest it, then provide suggestions to how they would facilitate patient healing. Then when they are faced with... read more

The case studies provided accurate information that relates to the named disease.

It is relevant to health care studies and the development of critical thinking.

Cases are straightforward with great clinical information.

Clinical information is provided concisely.

Appropriate for clinical case study.

Presented to facilitate information gathering.

Takes a while to navigate in the browser.

Cultural Relevance rating: 1

Text lacks adequate representation of minorities.

Reviewed by Kim Garcia, Lecturer III, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on 11/16/20

The book has 8 case studies, so obviously does not cover the whole of medicine, but the cases provided are descriptive and well developed. Cases are presented at different levels of difficulty, making the cases appropriate for students at different levels of clinical knowledge. The human element of both patient and health care provider is well captured. The cases are presented with a focus on interprofessional interaction and collaboration, more so than teaching medical content.

Content is accurate and un-biased. No errors noted. Most diagnostic and treatment information is general so it will remain relevant over time. The content of these cases is more appropriate for teaching interprofessional collaboration and less so for teaching the medical care for each diagnosis.

The content is relevant to a variety of different types of health care providers (nurses, radiologic technicians, medical laboratory personnel, etc) and due to the general nature of the cases, will remain relevant over time.

Easy to read. Clear headings are provided for sections of each case study and these section headings clearly tell when time has passed or setting has changed. Enough description is provided to help set the scene for each part of the case. Much of the text is written in the form of dialogue involving patient, family and health care providers, making it easy to adapt for role play. Medical jargon is limited and links for medical terms are provided to other resources that expound on medical terms used.

The text is consistent in structure of each case. Learning objectives are provided. Cases generally start with the patient at home and move with the patient through admission, testing and treatment, using a variety of healthcare services and encountering a variety of personnel.

The text is modular. Cases could be used individually within a unit on the given disease process or relevant sections of a case could be used to illustrate a specific point. The appendix is helpful in locating content specific to a certain diagnosis or a certain type of health care provider.

Each case follows a patient in a logical, chronologic fashion. A clear table of contents and appendix are provided which allows the user to quickly locate desired content. It would be helpful if the items in the table of contents and appendix were linked to the corresponding section of the text.

The hyperlinks to content outside this book work, however using the back arrow on your browser returns you to the front page of the book instead of to the point at which you left the text. I would prefer it if the hyperlinks opened in a new window or tab so closing that window or tab would leave you back where you left the text.

No grammatical errors were noted.

The text is culturally inclusive and appropriate. Characters, both patients and care givers are of a variety of races, ethnicities, ages and backgrounds.

I enjoyed reading the cases and reviewing this text. I can think of several ways in which I will use this content.

Reviewed by Raihan Khan, Instructor/Assistant Professor, James Madison University on 11/3/20

The book contains several important health issues, however still missing some chronic health issues that the students should learn before they join the workforce, such as diabetes-related health issues suffered by the patients. read more

The health information contained in the textbook is mostly accurate.

I think the book is written focusing on the current culture and health issues faced by the patients. To keep the book relevant in the future, the contexts especially the culture/lifestyle/health care modalities, etc. would need to be updated regularly.

The language is pretty simple, clear, and easy to read.

There is no complaint about consistency. One of the main issues of writing a book, consistency was well managed by the authors.

The book is easy to explore based on how easy the setup is. Students can browse to the specific section that they want to read without much hassle of finding the correct information.

The organization is simple but effective. The authors organized the book based on what can happen in a patient's life and what possible scenarios students should learn about the disease. From that perspective, the book does a good job.

The interface is easy and simple to navigate. Some links to external sources might need to be updated regularly since those links are subject to change that is beyond the author's control. It's frustrating for the reader when the external link shows no information.

The book is free of any major language and grammatical errors.

The book might do a little better in cultural competency. e.g. Last name Singh is mainly for Sikh people. In the text Harj and Priya Singh are Muslim. the authors can consult colleagues who are more familiar with those cultures and revise some cultural aspects of the cases mentioned in the book.

The book is a nice addition to the open textbook world. Hope to see more health issues covered by the book.

Reviewed by Ryan Sheryl, Assistant Professor, California State University, Dominguez Hills on 7/16/20

This text contains 8 medical case studies that reflect best practices at the time of publication. The text identifies 5 overarching learning objectives: interprofessional collaboration, client centered care, evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and informatics. While the case studies do not cover all medical conditions or bodily systems, the book is thorough in conveying details of various patients and medical team members in a hospital environment. Rather than an index or glossary at the end of the text, it contains links to outside websites for more information on medical tests and terms referenced in the cases.

The content provided is reflective of best practices in patient care, interdisciplinary collaboration, and communication at the time of publication. It is specifically accurate for the context of hospitals in Canada. The links provided throughout the text have the potential to supplement with up-to-date descriptions and definitions, however, many of them are broken (see notes in Interface section).

The content of the case studies reflects the increasingly complex landscape of healthcare, including a variety of conditions, ages, and personal situations of the clients and care providers. The text will require frequent updating due to the rapidly changing landscape of society and best practices in client care. For example, a future version may include inclusive practices with transgender clients, or address ways medical racism implicitly impacts client care (see notes in Cultural Relevance section).

The text is written clearly and presents thorough, realistic details about working and being treated in an acute hospital context.

The text is very straightforward. It is consistent in its structure and flow. It uses consistent terminology and follows a structured framework throughout.

Being a series of 8 separate case studies, this text is easily and readily divisible into smaller sections. The text was designed to be taken apart and used piece by piece in order to serve various learning contexts. The parts of each case study can also be used independently of each other to facilitate problem solving.

The topics in the case studies are presented clearly. The structure of each of the case studies proceeds in a similar fashion. All of the cases are set within the same hospital so the hospital personnel and service providers reappear across the cases, giving a textured portrayal of the experiences of the various service providers. The cases can be used individually, or one service provider can be studied across the various studies.

The text is very straightforward, without complex charts or images that could become distorted. Many of the embedded links are broken and require updating. The links that do work are a very useful way to define and expand upon medical terms used in the case studies.

Grammatical errors are minimal and do not distract from the flow of the text. In one instance the last name Singh is spelled Sing, and one patient named Fred in the text is referred to as Frank in the appendix.

The cases all show examples of health care personnel providing compassionate, client-centered care, and there is no overt discrimination portrayed. Two of the clients are in same-sex marriages and these are shown positively. It is notable, however, that the two cases presenting people of color contain more negative characteristics than the other six cases portraying Caucasian people. The people of color are the only two examples of clients who smoke regularly. In addition, the Indian client drinks and is overweight, while the First Nations client is the only one in the text to have a terminal diagnosis. The Indian client is identified as being Punjabi and attending a mosque, although there are only 2% Muslims in the Punjab province of India. Also, the last name Singh generally indicates a person who is a Hindu or Sikh, not Muslim.

Reviewed by Monica LeJeune, RN Instructor, LSUE on 4/24/20

Has comprehensive unfolding case studies that guide the reader to recognize and manage the scenario presented. Assists in critical thinking process. read more

Has comprehensive unfolding case studies that guide the reader to recognize and manage the scenario presented. Assists in critical thinking process.

Accurately presents health scenarios with real life assessment techniques and patient outcomes.

Relevant to nursing practice.

Clearly written and easily understood.

Consistent with healthcare terminology and framework

Has a good reading flow.

Topics presented in logical fashion

Easy to read.

No grammatical errors noted.

Text is not culturally insensitive or offensive.

Good book to have to teach nursing students.

Reviewed by april jarrell, associate professor, J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College on 1/7/20

The text is a great case study tool that is appropriate for nursing school instructors to use in aiding students to learn the nursing process. read more

The text is a great case study tool that is appropriate for nursing school instructors to use in aiding students to learn the nursing process.

The content is accurate and evidence based. There is no bias noted

The content in the text is relevant, up to date for nursing students. It will be easy to update content as needed because the framework allows for addition to the content.

The text is clear and easy to understand.

Framework and terminology is consistent throughout the text; the case study is a continual and takes the student on a journey with the patient. Great for learning!

The case studies can be easily divided into smaller sections to allow for discussions, and weekly studies.

The text and content progress in a logical, clear fashion allowing for progression of learning.

No interface issues noted with this text.

No grammatical errors noted in the text.

No racial or culture insensitivity were noted in the text.

I would recommend this text be used in nursing schools. The use of case studies are helpful for students to learn and practice the nursing process.

Reviewed by Lisa Underwood, Practical Nursing Instructor, NTCC on 12/3/19

The text provides eight comprehensive case studies that showcase the different viewpoints of the many roles involved in patient care. It encompasses the most common seen diagnoses seen across healthcare today. Each case study comes with its own set of learning objectives that can be tweaked to fit several allied health courses. Although the case studies are designed around the Canadian Healthcare System, they are quite easily adaptable to fit most any modern, developed healthcare system.

Content Accuracy rating: 3

Overall, the text is quite accurate. There is one significant error that needs to be addressed. It is located in the DVT case study. In the study, a popliteal artery clot is mislabeled as a DVT. DVTs are located in veins, not in arteries. That said, the case study on the whole is quite good. This case study could be used as a learning tool in the classroom for discussion purposes or as a way to test student understanding of DVTs, on example might be, "Can they spot the error?"

At this time, all of the case studies within the text are current. Healthcare is an ever evolving field that rests on the best evidence based practice. Keeping that in mind, educators can easily adapt the studies as the newest evidence emerges and changes practice in healthcare.

All of the case studies are well written and easy to understand. The text includes several hyperlinks and it also highlights certain medical terminology to prompt readers as a way to enhance their learning experience.

Across the text, the language, style, and format of the case studies are completely consistent.

The text is divided into eight separate case studies. Each case study may be used independently of the others. All case studies are further broken down as the focus patient passes through each aspect of their healthcare system. The text's modularity makes it possible to use a case study as individual work, group projects, class discussions, homework or in a simulation lab.

The case studies and the diagnoses that they cover are presented in such a way that educators and allied health students can easily follow and comprehend.

The book in itself is free of any image distortion and it prints nicely. The text is offered in a variety of digital formats. As noted in the above reviews, some of the hyperlinks have navigational issues. When the reader attempts to access them, a "page not found" message is received.

There were minimal grammatical errors. Some of which may be traced back to the differences in our spelling.

The text is culturally relevant in that it includes patients from many different backgrounds and ethnicities. This allows educators and students to explore cultural relevance and sensitivity needs across all areas in healthcare. I do not believe that the text was in any way insensitive or offensive to the reader.

By using the case studies, it may be possible to have an open dialogue about the differences noted in healthcare systems. Students will have the ability to compare and contrast the Canadian healthcare system with their own. I also firmly believe that by using these case studies, students can improve their critical thinking skills. These case studies help them to "put it all together".

Reviewed by Melanie McGrath, Associate Professor, TRAILS on 11/29/19

The text covered some of the most common conditions seen by healthcare providers in a hospital setting, which forms a solid general base for the discussions based on each case. read more

The text covered some of the most common conditions seen by healthcare providers in a hospital setting, which forms a solid general base for the discussions based on each case.

I saw no areas of inaccuracy

As in all healthcare texts, treatments and/or tests will change frequently. However, everything is currently up-to-date thus it should be a good reference for several years.

Each case is written so that any level of healthcare student would understand. Hyperlinks in the text is also very helpful.

All of the cases are written in a similar fashion.

Although not structured as a typical text, each case is easily assigned as a stand-alone.

Each case is organized clearly in an appropriate manner.

I did not see any issues.

I did not see any grammatical errors

The text seemed appropriately inclusive. There are no pediatric cases and no cases of intellectually-impaired patients, but those types of cases introduce more advanced problem-solving which perhaps exceed the scope of the text. May be a good addition to the text.

I found this text to be an excellent resource for healthcare students in a variety of fields. It would be best utilized in inter professional courses to help guide discussion.

Reviewed by Lynne Umbarger, Clinical Assistant Professor, Occupational Therapy, Emory and Henry College on 11/26/19

While the book does not cover every scenario, the ones in the book are quite common and troublesome for inexperienced allied health students. The information in the book is thorough enough, and I have found the cases easy to modify for educational purposes. The material was easily understood by the students but challenging enough for classroom discussion. There are no mentions in the book about occupational therapy, but it is easy enough to add a couple words and make inclusion simple.

Very nice lab values are provided in the case study, making it more realistic for students.

These case studies focus on commonly encountered diagnoses for allied health and nursing students. They are comprehensive, realistic, and easily understood. The only difference is that the hospital in one case allows the patient's dog to visit in the room (highly unusual in US hospitals).

The material is easily understood by allied health students. The cases have links to additional learning materials for concepts that may be less familiar or should be explored further in a particular health field.

The language used in the book is consistent between cases. The framework is the same with each case which makes it easier to locate areas that would be of interest to a particular allied health profession.

The case studies are comprehensive but well-organized. They are short enough to be useful for class discussion or a full-blown assignment. The students seem to understand the material and have not expressed that any concepts or details were missing.

Each case is set up like the other cases. There are learning objectives at the beginning of each case to facilitate using the case, and it is easy enough to pull out material to develop useful activities and assignments.

There is a quick chart in the Appendix to allow the reader to determine the professions involved in each case as well as the pertinent settings and diagnoses for each case study. The contents are easy to access even while reading the book.

As a person who attends carefully to grammar, I found no errors in all of the material I read in this book.

There are a greater number of people of different ethnicities, socioeconomic status, ages, and genders to make this a very useful book. With each case, I could easily picture the person in the case. This book appears to be Canadian and more inclusive than most American books.

I was able to use this book the first time I accessed it to develop a classroom activity for first-year occupational therapy students and a more comprehensive activity for second-year students. I really appreciate the links to a multitude of terminology and medical lab values/issues for each case. I will keep using this book.

Reviewed by Cindy Krentz, Assistant Professor, Metropolitan State University of Denver on 6/15/19

The book covers eight case studies of common inpatient or emergency department scenarios. I appreciated that they had written out the learning objectives. I liked that the patient was described before the case was started, giving some understanding of the patient's background. I think it could benefit from having a glossary. I liked how the authors included the vital signs in an easily readable bar. I would have liked to see the labs also highlighted like this. I also felt that it would have been good written in a 'what would you do next?' type of case study.

The book is very accurate in language, what tests would be prudent to run and in the day in the life of the hospital in all cases. One inaccuracy is that the authors called a popliteal artery clot a DVT. The rest of the DVT case study was great, though, but the one mistake should be changed.

The book is up to date for now, but as tests become obsolete and new equipment is routinely used, the book ( like any other health textbook) will need to be updated. It would be easy to change, however. All that would have to happen is that the authors go in and change out the test to whatever newer, evidence-based test is being utilized.

The text is written clearly and easy to understand from a student's perspective. There is not too much technical jargon, and it is pretty universal when used- for example DVT for Deep Vein Thrombosis.

The book is consistent in language and how it is broken down into case studies. The same format is used for highlighting vital signs throughout the different case studies. It's great that the reader does not have to read the book in a linear fashion. Each case study can be read without needing to read the others.

The text is broken down into eight case studies, and within the case studies is broken down into days. It is consistent and shows how the patient can pass through the different hospital departments (from the ER to the unit, to surgery, to home) in a realistic manner. The instructor could use one or more of the case studies as (s)he sees fit.

The topics are eight different case studies- and are presented very clearly and organized well. Each one is broken down into how the patient goes through the system. The text is easy to follow and logical.

The interface has some problems with the highlighted blue links. Some of them did not work and I got a 'page not found' message. That can be frustrating for the reader. I'm wondering if a glossary could be utilized (instead of the links) to explain what some of these links are supposed to explain.

I found two or three typos, I don't think they were grammatical errors. In one case I think the Canadian spelling and the United States spelling of the word are just different.

This is a very culturally competent book. In today's world, however, one more type of background that would merit delving into is the trans-gender, GLBTQI person. I was glad that there were no stereotypes.

I enjoyed reading the text. It was interesting and relevant to today's nursing student. Since we are becoming more interprofessional, I liked that we saw what the phlebotomist and other ancillary personnel (mostly different technicians) did. I think that it could become even more interdisciplinary so colleges and universities could have more interprofessional education- courses or simulations- with the addition of the nurse using social work, nutrition, or other professional health care majors.

Reviewed by Catherine J. Grott, Interim Director, Health Administration Program, TRAILS on 5/5/19

The book is comprehensive but is specifically written for healthcare workers practicing in Canada. The title of the book should reflect this. read more

The book is comprehensive but is specifically written for healthcare workers practicing in Canada. The title of the book should reflect this.

The book is accurate, however it has numerous broken online links.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 3

The content is very relevant, but some links are out-dated. For example, WHO Guidelines for Safe Surgery 2009 (p. 186) should be updated.

The book is written in clear and concise language. The side stories about the healthcare workers make the text interesting.

The book is consistent in terms of terminology and framework. Some terms that are emphasized in one case study are not emphasized (with online links) in the other case studies. All of the case studies should have the same words linked to online definitions.

Modularity rating: 3

The book can easily be parsed out if necessary. However, the way the case studies have been written, it's evident that different authors contributed singularly to each case study.

The organization and flow are good.

Interface rating: 1

There are numerous broken online links and "pages not found."

The grammar and punctuation are correct. There are two errors detected: p. 120 a space between the word "heart" and the comma; also a period is needed after Dr (p. 113).

I'm not quite sure that the social worker (p. 119) should comment that the patient and partner are "very normal people."

There are roughly 25 broken online links or "pages not found." The BC & Canadian Guidelines (p. 198) could also include a link to US guidelines to make the text more universal . The basilar crackles (p. 166) is very good. Text could be used compare US and Canadian healthcare. Text could be enhanced to teach "soft skills" and interdepartmental communication skills in healthcare.

Reviewed by Lindsey Henry, Practical Nursing Instructor, Fletcher on 5/1/19

I really appreciated how in the introduction, five learning objectives were identified for students. These objectives are paramount in nursing care and they are each spelled out for the learner. Each Case study also has its own learning... read more

As a seasoned nurse, I believe that the content regarding pathophysiology and treatments used in the case studies were accurate. I really appreciated how many of the treatments were also explained and rationales were given, which can be very helpful to facilitate effective learning for a nursing student or novice nurse.

The case studies are up to date and correlate with the current time period. They are easily understood.

I really loved how several important medical terms, including specific treatments were highlighted to alert the reader. Many interventions performed were also explained further, which is great to enhance learning for the nursing student or novice nurse. Also, with each scenario, a background and history of the patient is depicted, as well as the perspectives of the patient, patients family member, and the primary nurse. This really helps to give the reader a full picture of the day in the life of a nurse or a patient, and also better facilitates the learning process of the reader.

These case studies are consistent. They begin with report, the patient background or updates on subsequent days, and follow the patients all the way through discharge. Once again, I really appreciate how this book describes most if not all aspects of patient care on a day to day basis.

Each case study is separated into days. While they can be divided to be assigned at different points within the course, they also build on each other. They show trends in vital signs, what happens when a patient deteriorates, what happens when they get better and go home. Showing the entire process from ER admit to discharge is really helpful to enhance the students learning experience.

The topics are all presented very similarly and very clearly. The way that the scenarios are explained could even be understood by a non-nursing student as well. The case studies are very clear and very thorough.

The book is very easy to navigate, prints well on paper, and is not distorted or confusing.

I did not see any grammatical errors.

Each case study involves a different type of patient. These differences include race, gender, sexual orientation and medical backgrounds. I do not feel the text was offensive to the reader.

I teach practical nursing students and after reading this book, I am looking forward to implementing it in my classroom. Great read for nursing students!

Reviewed by Leah Jolly, Instructor, Clinical Coordinator, Oregon Institute of Technology on 4/10/19

Good variety of cases and pathologies covered. read more

Good variety of cases and pathologies covered.

Content Accuracy rating: 2

Some examples and scenarios are not completely accurate. For example in the DVT case, the sonographer found thrombus in the "popliteal artery", which according to the book indicated presence of DVT. However in DVT, thrombus is located in the vein, not the artery. The patient would also have much different symptoms if located in the artery. Perhaps some of these inaccuracies are just typos, but in real-life situations this simple mistake can make a world of difference in the patient's course of treatment and outcomes.

Good examples of interprofessional collaboration. If only it worked this way on an every day basis!

Clear and easy to read for those with knowledge of medical terminology.

Good consistency overall.

Broken up well.

Topics are clear and logical.

Would be nice to simply click through to the next page, rather than going through the table of contents each time.

Minor typos/grammatical errors.

No offensive or insensitive materials observed.

Reviewed by Alex Sargsyan, Doctor of Nursing Practice/Assistant Professor , East Tennessee State University on 10/8/18

Because of the case study character of the book it does not have index or glossary. However it has summary for each health case study outlining key elements discussed in each case study. read more

Because of the case study character of the book it does not have index or glossary. However it has summary for each health case study outlining key elements discussed in each case study.

Overall the book is accurately depicting the clinical environment. There are numerous references to external sites. While most of them are correct, some of them are not working. For example Homan’s test link is not working "404 error"

Book is relevant in its current version and can be used in undergraduate and graduate classes. That said, the longevity of the book may be limited because of the character of the clinical education. Clinical guidelines change constantly and it may require a major update of the content.

Cases are written very clearly and have realistic description of an inpatient setting.

The book is easy to read and consistent in the language in all eight cases.

The cases are very well written. Each case is subdivided into logical segments. The segments reflect different setting where the patient is being seen. There is a flow and transition between the settings.

Book has eight distinct cases. This is a great format for a book that presents distinct clinical issues. This will allow the students to have immersive experiences and gain better understanding of the healthcare environment.

Book is offered in many different formats. Besides the issues with the links mentioned above, overall navigation of the book content is very smooth.

Book is very well written and has no grammatical errors.

Book is culturally relevant. Patients in the case studies come different cultures and represent diverse ethnicities.

Reviewed by Justin Berry, Physical Therapist Assistant Program Director, Northland Community and Technical College, East Grand Forks, MN on 8/2/18

This text provides eight patient case studies from a variety of diagnoses, which can be utilized by healthcare students from multiple disciplines. The cases are comprehensive and can be helpful for students to determine professional roles, interprofessional roles, when to initiate communication with other healthcare practitioners due to a change in patient status, and treatment ideas. Some additional patient information, such as lab values, would have been beneficial to include.

Case study information is accurate and unbiased.

Content is up to date. The case studies are written in a way so that they will not be obsolete soon, even with changes in healthcare.

The case studies are well written, and can be utilized for a variety of classroom assignments, discussions, and projects. Some additional lab value information for each patient would have been a nice addition.

The case studies are consistently organized to make it easy for the reader to determine the framework.

The text is broken up into eight different case studies for various patient diagnoses. This design makes it highly modular, and would be easy to assign at different points of a course.

The flow of the topics are presented consistently in a logical manner. Each case study follows a patient chronologically, making it easy to determine changes in patient status and treatment options.

The text is free of interface issues, with no distortion of images or charts.

The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. Patients are represented from a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds

This book would be a good addition for many different health programs.

Reviewed by Ann Bell-Pfeifer, Instructor/Program Director, Minnesota State Community and Technical College on 5/21/18

The book gives a comprehensive overview of many types of cases for patient conditions. Emergency Room patients may arrive with COPD, heart failure, sepsis, pneumonia, or as motor vehicle accident victims. It is directed towards nurses, medical laboratory technologists, medical radiology technologists, and respiratory therapists and their roles in caring for patients. Most of the overview is accurate. One suggestion is to provide an embedded radiologist interpretation of the exams which are performed which lead to the patients diagnosis.

Overall the book is accurate. Would like to see updates related to the addition of direct radiography technology which is commonly used in the hospital setting.

Many aspects of medicine will remain constant. The case studies seem fairly accurate and may be relevant for up to 3 years. Since technology changes so quickly in medicine, the CT and x-ray components may need minor updates within a few years.

The book clarity is excellent.

The case stories are consistent with each scenario. It is easy to follow the structure and learn from the content.

The book is quite modular. It is easy to break it up into cases and utilize them individually and sequentially.

The cases are listed by disease process and follow a logical flow through each condition. They are easy to follow as they have the same format from the beginning to the end of each case.

The interface seems seamless. Hyperlinks are inserted which provide descriptions and references to medical procedures and in depth definitions.

The book is free of most grammatical errors. There is a place where a few words do not fit the sentence structure and could be a typo.

The book included all types of relationships and ethnic backgrounds. One type which could be added is a transgender patient.

I think the book was quite useful for a variety of health care professionals. The authors did an excellent job of integrating patient cases which could be applied to the health care setting. The stories seemed real and relevant. This book could be used to teach health care professionals about integrated care within the emergency department.

Reviewed by Shelley Wolfe, Assistant Professor, Winona State University on 5/21/18

This text is comprised of comprehensive, detailed case studies that provide the reader with multiple character views throughout a patient’s encounter with the health care system. The Table of Contents accurately reflected the content. It should be noted that the authors include a statement that conveys that this text is not like traditional textbooks and is not meant to be read in a linear fashion. This allows the educator more flexibility to use the text as a supplement to enhance learning opportunities.

The content of the text appears accurate and unbiased. The “five overarching learning objectives” provide a clear aim of the text and the educator is able to glean how these objectives are captured into each of the case studies. While written for the Canadian healthcare system, this text is easily adaptable to the American healthcare system.

Overall, the content is up-to-date and the case studies provide a variety of uses that promote longevity of the text. However, not all of the blue font links (if using the digital PDF version) were still in working order. I encountered links that led to error pages or outdated “page not found” websites. While the links can be helpful, continued maintenance of these links could prove time-consuming.

I found the text easy to read and understand. I enjoyed that the viewpoints of all the different roles (patient, nurse, lab personnel, etc.) were articulated well and allowed the reader to connect and gain appreciation of the entire healthcare team. Medical jargon was noted to be appropriate for the intended audience of this text.

The terminology and organization of this text is consistent.

The text is divided into 8 case studies that follow a similar organizational structure. The case studies can further be divided to focus on individual learning objectives. For example, the case studies could be looked at as a whole for discussing communication or could be broken down into segments to focus on disease risk factors.

The case studies in this text follow a similar organizational structure and are consistent in their presentation. The flow of individual case studies is excellent and sets the reader on a clear path. As noted previously, this text is not meant to be read in a linear fashion.

This text is available in many different forms. I chose to review the text in the digital PDF version in order to use the embedded links. I did not encounter significant interface issues and did not find any images or features that would distract or confuse a reader.

No significant grammatical errors were noted.

The case studies in this text included patients and healthcare workers from a variety of backgrounds. Educators and students will benefit from expanding the case studies to include discussions and other learning opportunities to help develop culturally-sensitive healthcare providers.

I found the case studies to be very detailed, yet written in a way in which they could be used in various manners. The authors note a variety of ways in which the case studies could be employed with students; however, I feel the authors could also include that the case studies could be used as a basis for simulated clinical experiences. The case studies in this text would be an excellent tool for developing interprofessional communication and collaboration skills in a variety healthcare students.

Reviewed by Darline Foltz, Assistant Professor, University of Cincinnati - Clermont College on 3/27/18

This book covers all areas listed in the Table of Contents. In addition to the detailed patient case studies, there is a helpful section of "How to Use this Resource". I would like to note that this resource "aligns with the open textbooks... read more

The book appears to be accurate. Although one of the learning outcomes is as follows: "Demonstrate an understanding of the Canadian healthcare delivery system.", I did not find anything that is ONLY specific to the Canadian healthcare delivery system other than some of the terminology, i.e. "porter" instead of "transporter" and a few french words. I found this to make the book more interesting for students rather than deter from it. These are patient case studies that are relevant in any country.

The content is up-to-date. Changes in medical science may occur, i.e. a different test, to treat a diagnosis that is included in one or more of the case studies, however, it would be easy and straightforward to implement these changes.

This book is written in lucid, accessible prose. The technical/medical terminology that is used is appropriate for medical and allied health professionals. Something that would improve this text would to provide a glossary of terms for the terms in blue font.

This book is consistent with current medical terminology

This text is easily divided into each of the 6 case studies. The case studies can be used singly according to the body system being addressed or studied.

Because this text is a collection of case studies, flow doesn't pertain, however the organization and structure of the case studies are excellent as they are clear and easy to read.

There are no distractions in this text that would distract or confuse the reader.

I did not identify any grammatical errors.

This text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way and uses patients and healthcare workers that are of a variety of races, ethnicities and backgrounds.

I believe that this text would not only be useful to students enrolled in healthcare professions involved in direct patient care but would also be useful to students in supporting healthcare disciplines such as health information technology and management, medical billing and coding, etc.

Introduction

Case Study #1: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Learning Objectives
Patient: Erin Johns
Emergency Room

Case Study #2: Pneumonia

Day 0: Emergency Room
Day 1: Emergency Room
Day 1: Medical Ward
Day 2: Medical Ward
Day 3: Medical Ward
Day 4: Medical Ward

Case Study #3: Unstable Angina (UA)

Patient: Harj Singh

Case Study #4: Heart Failure (HF)

Patient: Meryl Smith
In the Supermarket
Day 0: Medical Ward

Case Study #5: Motor Vehicle Collision (MVC)

Patient: Aaron Knoll
Crash Scene
Operating Room
Post Anaesthesia Care Unit (PACU)
Surgical Ward

Case Study #6: Sepsis

Patient: George Thomas
Sleepy Hollow Care Facility

Case Study #7: Colon Cancer

Patient: Fred Johnson
Two Months Ago
Pre-Surgery Admission

Case Study #8: Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

Patient: Jamie Douglas

Appendix: Overview About the Authors

Ancillary Material

About the book.

Health Case Studies is composed of eight separate health case studies. Each case study includes the patient narrative or story that models the best practice (at the time of publishing) in healthcare settings. Associated with each case is a set of specific learning objectives to support learning and facilitate educational strategies and evaluation.

The case studies can be used online in a learning management system, in a classroom discussion, in a printed course pack or as part of a textbook created by the instructor. This flexibility is intentional and allows the educator to choose how best to convey the concepts presented in each case to the learner.

Because these case studies were primarily developed for an electronic healthcare system, they are based predominantly in an acute healthcare setting. Educators can augment each case study to include primary healthcare settings, outpatient clinics, assisted living environments, and other contexts as relevant.

About the Contributors

Glynda Rees teaches at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) in Vancouver, British Columbia. She completed her MSN at the University of British Columbia with a focus on education and health informatics, and her BSN at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Glynda has many years of national and international clinical experience in critical care units in South Africa, the UK, and the USA. Her teaching background has focused on clinical education, problem-based learning, clinical techniques, and pharmacology.

Glynda‘s interests include the integration of health informatics in undergraduate education, open accessible education, and the impact of educational technologies on nursing students’ clinical judgment and decision making at the point of care to improve patient safety and quality of care.

Faculty member in the critical care nursing program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) since 2003, Rob has been a critical care nurse for over 25 years with 17 years practicing in a quaternary care intensive care unit. Rob is an experienced educator and supports student learning in the classroom, online, and in clinical areas. Rob’s Master of Education from Simon Fraser University is in educational technology and learning design. He is passionate about using technology to support learning for both faculty and students.

Part of Rob’s faculty position is dedicated to providing high fidelity simulation support for BCIT’s nursing specialties program along with championing innovative teaching and best practices for educational technology. He has championed the use of digital publishing and was the tech lead for Critical Care Nursing’s iPad Project which resulted in over 40 multi-touch interactive textbooks being created using Apple and other technologies.

Rob has successfully completed a number of specialist certifications in computer and network technologies. In 2015, he was awarded Apple Distinguished Educator for his innovation and passionate use of technology to support learning. In the past five years, he has presented and published abstracts on virtual simulation, high fidelity simulation, creating engaging classroom environments, and what the future holds for healthcare and education.

Janet Morrison is the Program Head of Occupational Health Nursing at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) in Burnaby, British Columbia. She completed a PhD at Simon Fraser University, Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology, with a focus on health information technology. Her dissertation examined the effects of telehealth implementation in an occupational health nursing service. She has an MA in Adult Education from St. Francis Xavier University and an MA in Library and Information Studies from the University of British Columbia.

Janet’s research interests concern the intended and unintended impacts of health information technologies on healthcare students, faculty, and the healthcare workforce.

She is currently working with BCIT colleagues to study how an educational clinical information system can foster healthcare students’ perceptions of interprofessional roles.

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Writing Tips

A comprehensive nursing case study writing guide.

Aug. 4, 2023 • 7 min read

Nursing Case Study Writing Step-By-Step Guide

Nursing case studies play a vital role in the education and training of aspiring nurses in the USA, UK, UAE, and Canada. These real-life scenarios provide students with a unique opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations, enhancing their critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and decision-making skills. In this guide, we'll walk you through the essential steps to creating effective and insightful nursing case studies that meet the academic standards of these countries.

1. Choosing a Relevant Case

The foundation of a successful nursing case study is the selection of an appropriate case. Look for scenarios that align with your course's learning objectives and reflect the wide range of healthcare challenges that nurses may face. Select cases involving ethical quandaries, complex patient interactions, or situations requiring interdisciplinary collaboration.

2. Gathering Information

Thorough research is key to crafting a detailed and accurate nursing case study. Collect data from reputable sources such as medical journals, textbooks, and evidence-based practice guidelines. Ensure that the patient's medical history, current condition, and relevant clinical data are well-documented. Protect patient confidentiality by de-identifying information.

3. Setting the Stage

Introduce the case by providing basic details on the patient, the healthcare setting, and any other relevant information. Describe the patient's demographics, medical history, current symptoms, and reason for seeking medical help. This establishes the context for readers to comprehend the situation and its significance.

4. Clinical Assessment

Detail the nursing assessment process, including physical examinations, diagnostic tests, and the collection of subjective and objective data. Highlight the nurse's role in observing, interviewing, and evaluating the patient's condition. Discuss the data collected and its implications for the patient's care.

5. Diagnosis and Planning

Based on the assessment, outline the nursing diagnoses and collaborative problems. Clearly explain the rationale behind each diagnosis and present a well-reasoned plan of care. Discuss short-term and long-term goals, potential interventions, and the expected outcomes of nursing interventions.

6. Implementation and Evaluation

Describe how the nursing care plan was executed and the interventions that were implemented. Include details about the nurse's interactions with the patient, families, and other healthcare team members. Evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions, discussing any changes in the patient's condition, responses to treatment, and unexpected challenges.

7. Reflection and Learning

Encourage critical thinking by incorporating a reflection section. Invite students to analyze the case, consider alternative approaches, and reflect on what they have learned from the experience. Discuss the ethical, cultural, and emotional aspects of the case, promoting a holistic understanding of patient care.

8. References and Citations

Maintain academic integrity by properly citing all sources used in your case study. Follow the appropriate citation style (such as APA, MLA, or Chicago) as required by your institution.

Writing nursing case studies is an essential skill for nursing students in the USA, UK, and Canada. Through these case studies, students can bridge the gap between theory and practice, preparing them for the complex and dynamic healthcare environments they will encounter in their careers. By carefully selecting cases, conducting thorough research, and presenting well-structured and reflective analyses, nursing students can create case studies that not only meet academic standards but also contribute to their growth as competent and compassionate healthcare professionals.

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v.10(9); 2023 Sep
PMC10415993

A mixed methods study using case studies prepared by nursing students as a clinical practice evaluation tool

Ana maría palmar‐santos.

1 Nursing Department, Faculty of Medicine, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid Spain

2 Member of the Nursing and Health Care Research Group of the Health Research Institute “Puerta de Hierro‐Segovia de Arana” (IDIPHISA), Majadahonda Spain

Cristina Oter‐Quintana

Ricardo olmos.

3 Social Psychology and Methodology Department, Faculty of Psychology, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid Spain

Azucena Pedraz‐Marcos

4 Health Care Research Unit, Institute of Health Carlos III; Nursing Department, Faculty of Medicine, Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain

Juana Robledo‐Martin

5 Member of the Gregorio Marañon Health Research Institute, IiSGM, Madrid Spain

Associated Data

Data available on request from the authors: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

To identify the presence of variability in the evaluation of case studies prepared by nursing students during their primary care rotations based on the existing evaluation rubric. To explore the difficulties experienced by link lecturers and students in preparing and evaluating case studies.

A mixed methods study.

The scores for the rubric items and the final grades for the case studies were collected from a sample of 132 cases. Qualitative information was collected by conducting open‐ended interviews with lecturers and a focus group session with students.

Statistically significant differences were identified between the lecturers' mean final grades [ F (5.136) = 3.984, p = 0.002] and a variety of items in the evaluation rubric ( p < 0.05). In addition, effect sizes [ η 2 (≈0.14)] of considerable magnitude were found.

Two themes emerged from the qualitative data: (1). the challenge of preparing the case studies and (2). the variable nature of the evaluations.

1. INTRODUCTION

Clinical training of nursing students is an essential part of the nursing degree curriculum. In the European context, this training is determined by a European Union directive and accounts for ‘at least one half of the minimum duration of the training’. The same directive states that ‘this training shall take place in hospitals and other health institutions and the community, under the responsibility of nursing teachers, in cooperation with and assisted by other qualified nurses’ (Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament, 2005 ). Evaluating skills in a real‐life environment with a multitude of different professionals accompanying the students' learning process poses a challenge for institutions training future nursing professionals (Almalkawi et al., 2018 ; Pramila‐Savukoski et al., 2020 ).

Evaluating the acquisition of clinical practice skills is an ongoing task for clinical mentors that poses a constant challenge (Tuomikoski et al., 2020 ). Although clinical mentors have improved the evaluation procedures and rubrics at their disposal (Stanley et al., 2020 ), they continue to call for greater communication with universities (Bos et al., 2015 ). At most institutions, this continuous evaluation process is supplemented by reflective evaluation in an attempt to measure not only performance but also the thought processes leading to that performance, that is, critical thinking and decision‐making. Various methods and tools have been used for this purpose, including portfolios (Buckley et al., 2009 ), reflective journals (Hwang et al., 2018 ), case scenarios and 360‐degree evaluations (González‐Gil et al., 2020 ) and performance checklist and assessment tests, like in the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) (Sabzi et al., 2018 ). These methods have all proven effective in evaluating nursing students' clinical practice and are considered not only evaluation tools but also learning tools (Driessen, 2017 ).

2. BACKGROUND

Case studies have been widely used in nursing theory training because they help students to build on the basic knowledge taught and to collect information and analyse it to make diagnoses and support interventions (O'Rourke & Zerwic, 2016 ). In addition, there is considerable research on the use of case studies in simulation settings, which are practical environments where students gain confidence before moving on to clinical practice (Wong & Kowitlawakul, 2020 ). Case studies have been included in OSCEs as part of the final evaluation of skills acquired through clinical practice (Kelly et al., 2016 ) and as tools for learning critical thinking and decision‐making skills in healthcare institutions (Englund, 2020 ). At our university, the students study the nursing process and the standardised nursing languages (North American Nursing Diagnosis Classification (NANDA), Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) and Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC)) in the first year. In the second and third years, the students are asked to prepare a clinical case consisting in designing a care plan for a person or a family in their clinical practice unit. The students must develop the different phases of the nursing process: assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation and evaluation of their care plan. They must use the standardised nursing languages too. To guide this process, the student is supervised by a link lecturer, who can be an academic lecturer (full lecturer) or a clinical lecturer (assistant lecturer), who combines their teaching work at the university with clinical activity. The grade obtained in the clinical case is part of the overall evaluation of the clinical practice module, which also includes other components such as being assessed by the clinical nurse responsible for mentoring them at the clinical placement and a self‐evaluation component. This kind of summative assessment with several tools used in direct patient care and simulated practice, which are marked using a multi‐level observational rubric, supplemented by self‐evaluation of clinical performance, is in line with the findings of Clemett and Raleigh ( 2021 ) in their systematic review.

Despite the wide use and positive outcomes gained from cases studies, students still feel that the evaluation of their clinical practice varies depending on the clinical nurse mentor, who decides what is relevant in ‘the real world’ and the link lecturer, who, despite being relatively invisible to students during their clinical practice, has a major influence on their final grade (Foster et al., 2015 ; Helminen et al., 2016 ).

3. THE STUDY

The aim of this study is twofold. On the one hand, to identify the presence of variability in the evaluation of case studies prepared by nursing students during their primary care rotations based on a module's existing evaluation rubric. On the other hand, to explore the difficulties experienced by link lecturers and students in preparing and evaluating case studies.

4.1. Design

A mixed methods design was used, analysing the scores given to the case studies during the evaluation and qualitative information on link lecturers' and students' assessments of the evaluation process.

4.2. Population and sample

The study was carried out during the 7‐week rotation of third‐year students on primary care clinical placements during the 2018–2019 academic year. The study population included 132 students, who prepared a case study during their rotation in primary care, and 6 link lecturers, who assessed their case studies. Each case study was evaluated by the link lecturer responsible for monitoring that student during the clinical practices in that period. During the 2018–2019 academic year, evaluation of the primary care case studies was undertaken by six link lecturers.

4.3. Data collection

Data were collected in the following ways: the scores awarded to the 132 case studies by the various link lecturers, a focus group session with the participating students and in‐depth interviews with the lecturers involved in their evaluation.

Data were collected on the following variables: the link lecturer responsible for evaluating each student, the final grade for each student's case and the grades awarded to each of the items in the evaluation rubric. This rubric (see Annex 1 ) is the tool usually used by link lecturers to correct clinical cases. This evaluation tool was developed by a group of nursing professors with extensive experience in the preparation of clinical cases but has not been subjected to a formal validation process.

Four of the six link lecturers were interviewed since two of the link lecturers had participated in the development of the research project and their participation in the interviews was not considered appropriate. Of the four link lecturers interviewed: one was an academic lecturer (full lecturer) and three were clinical lecturers (who combine clinical care with teaching). An interview script covering the following topics was used: experience in evaluating case studies; the influence of the aspects they value most and least on the grades they award; difficulties in using the rubric and recommendations for improvement (see Annex 2 ). The interviews lasted between 40 and 60 min and took place in a space chosen by each participant. They were audio‐recorded and then transcribed for analysis.

Students with the highest and lowest grades in the case study were invited to participate in a focus group session. To ensure the heterogeneity of the group, students evaluated by different link lecturers were represented. For the focus group session, a thematic script was created, addressing aspects relating to the preparation of students' case studies during their clinical placements and recommendations for improvement (see Annex 3 ). Five students participated in the focus group, which was led by a moderator accompanied by an observer who took notes during the development of the session. All students actively participated in the discussion. The focus group session lasted 90 min and was audio‐recorded and transcribed for subsequent analysis, after obtaining informed consent from all participants.

4.4. Data analysis

The data from the case study evaluation were statistically analysed to assess any differences between link lecturers in the final grade they awarded to each case study and the grades they awarded to each of the items in the evaluation rubric. To analyse the data, a between‐subjects one‐factor ANOVA model was used (one lecturer representing one factor) using the total score given by the lecturer (the sum of all the rubric items) and each rubric item separately as the dependent variable. This was used to assess whether the average scores differed. Pairwise comparisons of lecturers were performed to establish whether lecturers differed in the average scores awarded using Tukey's method (controlling for the type I error rate). The statistical significance threshold for all analyses was set at 0.05. In addition, the assumptions of normality and homoscedasticity were fulfilled for the dependent variables. Normality was assessed using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test. The assumption of homoscedasticity was assessed using Levene's test. When the assumption of the equality of variances was not met, Welch's corrected F ‐statistic was used. The non‐parametric Kruskal–Wallis test was also used to analyse whether the results were sensitive to the statistical model. The data were analysed using SPSS (version 25) software from IBM.

The qualitative data from the interviews and focus group sessions were analysed thematically using Braun and Clarke method ( 2006 ). All authors read and underlined the interview and focus group transcripts to familiarise themselves with the data and to identify the first emerging codes. At a series of analytical meetings, the authors identified potential themes by clustering the codes and created a relationship map to refine and link the themes found. This refinement of the themes led to the final report, which included quotes from participants and analytical notes on each theme.

4.5. Ethical considerations

This study is part of a teaching innovation project entitled ‘Strategies for harmonising clinical practice evaluation standards’, approved by the Autonomous University of Madrid Teaching Innovation Ethical Committee, involving internal and external evaluators, with reference number M_015.18_INN.

All individuals involved in the study participated voluntarily, were informed about the study objectives and signed an informed consent form. Students were assured that their participation would have no impact on their grades. To this end, double anonymisation was carried out at the time of recruitment and during transcription.

A total of 132 case study evaluations were collected from 6 lecturers, with the number of cases evaluated by each lecturer ranging between 18 and 26 (see Table 1 ).

Means, standard deviations and number of students ( N ) per lecturer based on final grades and rubric items.

Table 2 shows the results comparing the means of the six lecturers. The results of the parametric ANOVA model and the non‐parametric Kruskal–Wallis model are also provided, with a sensitivity analysis performed in consideration of the fact that the assumptions required by the ANOVA are not always met. The results suggest that the two statistical models are robust and consistent with one another. In virtually all items of the rubric (in addition to the final grade), there are statistically significant differences in the mean grades awarded between the lecturers. The items in which significant differences were identified between the lecturers using both statistical models were information analysis, planning, follow‐up of the individual's progress and written communication. In the final assessment and literature review, differences were detected only in the non‐parametric test. Furthermore, in the final grade, the effect size measure, η 2 , exhibited a considerable magnitude according to Cohen's criteria ( 1988 , ps. 280–287), where 0.01, 0.07 and 0.14 are set as criteria for weak, moderate and strong effect sizes respectively. Table 2 shows that in four of the eight items evaluated, the effect size was high.

Significance of ANOVA tests based on final grades and rubric items.

Note: Bold values indicate the statistical significance of p < 0.05.

Pairwise comparisons between all lecturers were also assessed and one lecturer was found to differ significantly from two other lecturers ( p < 0.05). Lecturer 6, in particular, awarded significantly higher averages than lecturers 1 and 4 (see Table 1 ). Finally, the six lecturers were grouped into two categories according to their job category (academic lecturer or clinical lecturer) in order to analyse whether academic and clinical lecturers used the rubric differently. The T ‐test for independent samples was used to compare the averages. The results showed no significant differences in any of the items analysed or in the total, except for written communication. In this item, the group of academic lecturers ( M = 0.38, SD = 0.12) awarded significantly lower average scores than the group of clinical lecturers ( M = 0.47, SD = 0.06): T (93) = 5.281, p < 0.001.

Regarding the qualitative phase of the study, the thematic analysis of the discourses from the interviews with the link lecturers and the focus group with the students generated two core categories:

The challenge of preparing the case study
The variable nature of the evaluations

5.1. The challenge of preparing the case study

The link lecturers participating in the study viewed case studies as an opportunity to integrate theory and practice. However, they highlighted students' difficulties in incorporating theory into the case they are working on. They also pointed out that students tended to focus their attention on the physical problems of the people they care for. They stressed that a reductionist, superficial nursing assessment will not lead to a deep understanding of the social and emotional problems of the individual under their care.

The link lecturers participating in the study explained that the limitations of the case study were due, on the one hand, to the incorporation of the nursing process into the computer system, which simplifies the approach of a comprehensive vision of said process, and on the other hand, to the internalisation of care models that fail to take a holistic view of the individual by nursing students during their placements.

So, I think that this may be influencing a lot […] that they are influenced a lot by the computer systems, which, in some way, shape how you think, or your own mentalization. But, sometimes, what I am seeing is that there are students who do not go further. (E1)

(They are preparing) a case with a mentor, who almost always has a hospital background, who is not teaching them a holistic approach to patients. (E4)

During the focus group, the students stated that the clinical nurse mentors helped them in choosing a patient and support them in preparing their case. However, they pointed out that sometimes the clinical nurse mentors failed to fully understand the work they must carry out, even questioning the practicality of this type of exercise for their future professional practice.

I've even heard that. They [clinical nurse mentors] say “but this is a waste of time, you're never going to do this…” If the person who is above you, so to speak, comes to you and says: “don't do that, it's nonsense” or “it's no use”, they're not exactly going to be of much help. (FG)

In the focus group, the students identified the lack of precise, uniform instructions from all link lecturers as to the structure and basic contents of the case study as one of the main difficulties involved in the process. This prompts them to prioritise the creation of their own case study, ‘the model case study’, for which they resort to the following: 1. reviewing learning materials from previous modules in their academic training; 2. using available bibliographic resources; and 3. compiling case studies carried out by colleagues or by themselves that have already been corrected. The students expressed that they felt that some of the instructions provided by link lecturers were contradictory and wondered whether those instructions reflect personal inclinations rather than academic criteria.

The link lecturers who participated in the study also pointed to the lack of a precise, standardised structure and content as particularly problematic when it came to helping them guide the student in the development of the clinical case. They considered that the fact that the students could receive different indications from each link lecturer contributed to generating confusion among them.

Yes, I see the fact that you can have a tutor every year as an inconvenience, […]each tutor asks you really one thing. Maybe it's not worth it, even if it's well done, it's not worth it, because they wants… "No, I don't want this, I want you to develop this pattern more for me", "I don't like this, remove it" , and then, suddenly, the following year, or in the following practice, you get another one, and it's the other way around, they likes what you had done at the beginning better. (FG)

I really don't think the problem is that students aren't trying hard enough, it's that they're quite disoriented. We're giving them different instructions if you like. (E2)

During the focus group, the students complained that case studies were expected to meet certain requirements without considering the reality in which they carry out their clinical placements, such as requiring the case study to be carried out in a home environment or demanding that the care plan designed to be put into practice. This last point is also noted by the interviewed link lecturers.

The students and link lecturers mentioned that they sometimes resorted to ‘embellishing’ the real case study with fictitious content as a way of fulfilling the requirements, or to taking more simplistic approaches enabling them to obtain results in the short term.

I understand that the student may have difficulty understanding that we propose a care plan, and an evaluation, above all […], but the evaluation is very difficult, an evaluation in three weeks [the duration of the internship], in primary care. It is that sometimes not even in three weeks is a wound managed, nor is a therapeutic eating plan managed, nor is a grieving coping plan managed, nor do you manage… it is that practically very little. (E4)

But to comply with all the requirements, I think that I personally, in some cases, and I think other people too, end up having to make something up in the end. And just for that, for a good grade, when in reality it's not entirely true. (FG)

5.2. The variable nature of the evaluations

Despite the evaluation rubric, the students participating in the focus group perceived differences in the demands made by different link lecturers. They believed that there was variability in the grading of the cases that was intrinsic to the lecturers themselves and did not reflect the quality of their work. Students felt evaluation discrepancies as ‘unfair’, indicating the need to establish common, precise standards in line with the level of skills to be acquired.

Really, I've had classmates whose cases would have been graded a 9 (by the mentors that I've had), but if I'd handed over my case to their mentor, my case would've got a 5 instead of an 8. That's unacceptable. (FG)

Link lecturers participating in the study viewed the rubric as an instrument that could sometimes ‘constrict’ the evaluation process by requiring a separate grade for each item, overlooking the fact that the final grade was based on the overall quality of the student's work rather than on the sum of the individual parts of the rubric.

The rubric (…) was a bit constricting, I mean, it didn't allow me (…) to be consistent with my impressions after evaluating the student and after adjusting the items to the main dimensions of the rubric. (E2)

The link lecturers reported that the tool displays a central tendency in grades, causing difficulties in the evaluation of the case studies when it comes to minimum and maximum grades. They also believed that there were items in the rubric that needed to be changed and that, in order to reduce variability, certain adjectives should be more specific, for example, ‘complete’, ‘consistent’ and ‘appropriate’. They argued that the fact that not all link lecturers were experts in nursing methodology, and evaluation strategies resulted in the rubric not being used properly or in each link lecturer using it ‘in their own way’ in the evaluation process.

Each of us evaluators evaluate in a different way, from a different perspective. I think we try to do it in the same way, but we end up doing it in a different way. We all have different professional experience, or different academic experience (…). Each one of us might add a different nuance to it. (E3)

Link lecturers also mentioned that students failed to take on board their recommendations for improvement, partly due to discrepancies as to what was considered relevant in each case study.

6. DISCUSSION

The results of our study suggest that, despite the availability of a rubric for evaluating case studies, there are statistically significant differences in the mean grades given by the sample of lecturers. This echoes the findings of previous studies suggesting that, although the availability of rubrics reduces between‐lecturer variability, rubrics fail to eliminate all differences attributable to lecturer idiosyncrasies (Bearman & Ajjawi, 2021 ).

The benefits of using rubrics include the possibility of directing students' efforts towards core aspects of learning. When teachers' expectations are made explicit to students, they are more likely to be met (Panadero & Jonsson, 2013 ). No mention was made of the utility of the rubric as a ‘guide’ for the learning process by the participating students. Rubrics have been justified in academia as a way of ensuring transparency in evaluation. However, without student participation in their development and use, they provide little support for student learning and evaluation (Bearman & Ajjawi, 2021 ; Kilgour et al., 2020 ).

Case studies have been incorporated into nursing degrees as a tool for learning to apply critical reasoning to nursing diagnoses, outcomes and interventions. Most of the experiences reported refer to the use of case studies designed by teachers and incorporated into clinical practice by students (Popil, 2011 ) or in comparison with other methods, such as simulated patients (Karadag et al., 2016 ). Several studies analysing the development of care plans by students based on real patients highlight the importance of nursing taxonomies (NANDA, NIC and NOC) in incorporating evaluation criteria into the case study objectives and improving nursing interventions of a less technical nature (Palese et al., 2009 ). However, as in our study, students report that nurses working at the healthcare facilities where they are carrying out their clinical placements make marginal use of the nursing methodology. Link lecturers also highlight the biological approach occasionally permeating case studies. Echoing these findings, Türk et al. ( 2013 ) explain the significant presence of physiological diagnoses in care plans made by students based on Benner's Novice to Expert Model. To these authors, the fact that ‘novices’ tend to identify problems of a biological nature results from their limited capacity to understand the situation of the individual being cared for as a whole, to apply critical thinking and to take a holistic approach. It is expected that novices will develop these skills with experience as they become experts. At the same time, identification of psychosocial problems requires a level of communication skill that is not available to students in the early stages of their training.

In our study, students and link lecturers both said that the case study script lacked clarity and specificity. In this sense, students and mentors said that having a follow‐up structure, with specific tasks relating to the preparation of the case study, could be a viable avenue for improvement. This is consistent with a study by Brugnolli et al. ( 2011 ), where students reported that gradual, experiential and guided learning was the most appropriate mentoring tool for their learning process. Palese et al. ( 2008 ) found that students who had received more intensive mentoring in the development of critical thinking skills made fewer errors in the initial formulation of hypotheses in case studies.

Furthermore, in a review by Flott and Linden ( 2016 ), the interaction between mentors and students in clinical practice learning, along with the physical space where learning takes place and the organisational culture, were considered essential components of the clinical learning environment (CLE). Student ‘exposure’ to clinical practice conditions echoes existing findings in the literature regarding the gap between theory and practice. Solutions include greater involvement of link lecturers in the acquisition of clinical skills and experimentation with the realities of practice, as well as a greater presence of clinical mentors in theory training, allowing them to build more meaningful bonds with students (Masterson et al., 2020 ). This is especially relevant in primary care, where the gap between the hospital setting and the academic environment has been highlighted by various authors (Peters et al., 2015 ; Valaitis et al., 2020 ).

Finally, in our study, students and link lecturers feel that they are expected to produce work in accordance with requirements that are far removed from the reality of care. The theory taught at educational institutions aims to provide general practice guidelines that may be meaningless when they materialise in the dynamic, changing world of clinical care, causing feelings of frustration and futility (Salifu et al., 2019 ).

6.1. Limitations

This study has some limitations. First, for the exploration of the difficulties expressed by the students, only one focus group was conducted with nursing students. This affects the possibility that different student profiles could be represented within the group. Nevertheless, an attempt was made to ensure a certain heterogeneity of the attendees in terms of experiential characteristics considered relevant to the phenomenon under study, such as grades obtained in the clinical case and specific primary health centre of clinical practice. Another limitation of the study is the number of cases evaluated by each teacher, which made it necessary to use non‐parametric tests. It should also be noted that the participants were recruited from a single university institution. This limits transferability to other academic contexts. On the other hand, it should be noted that the rubric used in the elaboration of the clinical cases was developed by a group of expert teachers in this teaching methodology, and has not been subjected to a formal validation process. This prevents knowing the reliability and validity of the instrument to evaluate the clinical cases prepared by the student.

7. CONCLUSION

The use of case studies based on real individuals cared for by students during their practical training as an evaluation tool poses several challenges. Students and link lecturers point out the complexity of the process of preparing a case study and consider that having uniform, clear criteria in line with the reality of clinical settings is essential to facilitate this task. The use of case studies as an evaluation tool requires the availability of rubrics that concisely reflect lecturers' expectations as to the work to be carried out, which can be used by students as a roadmap in preparing their case study.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT

Acknowledgements.

Rubric for evaluating case studies.

Interview guide for link lecturers., focus group guide..

Palmar‐Santos, A. M. , Oter‐Quintana, C. , Olmos, R. , Pedraz‐Marcos, A. , & Robledo‐Martin, J. (2023). A mixed methods study using case studies prepared by nursing students as a clinical practice evaluation tool . Nursing Open , 10 , 6592–6601. 10.1002/nop2.1919 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]

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3.2: Learning Objectives

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Case 2 describes a patient’s experience of COPD exacerbation due to community acquired pneumonia. The patient in this case study has a complicated health history. The interprofessional collaboration is role modelled between nursing, medical radiology, medical laboratory, and health care workers in the emergency department.

Learners reviewing this case can consider how pneumonia affects COPD. Additionally this case offers opportunity for discussion on supporting families both in the Emergency Department and acute medicine areas. The interprofessional collaboration is ideal and offers opportunities for further discussion on why the collaboration works so well and what barriers would prevent ideal collaboration.

Note: The story told here is used in case 1 and case 2. The simpler version in case 1 can be used to teach novice students about health case studies. Case 2 reintroduces the patient from case 1 and expands her story with more details for more advanced study.

Learning Objectives

In this case, learners have an opportunity to:

Review etiological factors (i.e., risk factors, prevalence, comorbidities) associated with respiratory disease
‪Build knowledge related to the patient’s experience of respiratory insufficiency, including COPD and pneumonia
‪Continue to develop comprehensive assessment and monitoring skills and abilities (e.g., relevant abnormal physical assessment findings, ABGs, lab, and diagnostic data)
‪Consider the links between evidence-based knowledge and practice in the care of patients with pneumonia (e.g., CAP guidelines)
‪Recommend interventions based on the risk factors, status, and progression of pneumonia (e.g., antibiotic therapy, oxygen therapy)
‪Define the roles of health care professionals and the contributions they make to the healthcare team (or describe your own role and the roles of those in other professions)

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Case Study #2: Pneumonia

Learning Objectives

In this case, learners have an opportunity to:

Review etiological factors (i.e., risk factors, prevalence, comorbidities) associated with respiratory disease
‪Build knowledge related to the patient’s experience of respiratory insufficiency, including COPD and pneumonia
‪Continue to develop comprehensive assessment and monitoring skills and abilities (e.g., relevant abnormal physical assessment findings, ABGs, lab, and diagnostic data)
‪Consider the links between evidence-based knowledge and practice in the care of patients with pneumonia (e.g., CAP guidelines)
‪Recommend interventions based on the risk factors, status, and progression of pneumonia (e.g., antibiotic therapy, oxygen therapy)
‪Define the roles of health care professionals and the contributions they make to the healthcare team (or describe your own role and the roles of those in other professions)

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Musculoskeletal System Assessment

Vernon Russell

Warum dieses Szenario verwenden?

This scenario is designed for nursing students in a nursing assessment or equivalent introductory course. The scenario encourages the participants to assess the patient, identify normal versus abnormal assessment findings, and use clinical judgment in the evaluation of the assessment findings. The scenario is mapped to the 2019 NCLEX Test Plan Categories for easy integration into nursing curricula. The learning objectives and case study provide a high degree of fidelity within the simulation and facilitate the post-simulation debriefing using the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) competencies.

Zusammenfassung

Vernon Russell is a 55-year-old Native American man who was admitted to the hospital 2 weeks ago for treatment for a stroke with residual mild left weakness. He was treated for the stroke and was transferred to a transitional care unit this afternoon.

The students are expected to complete a musculoskeletal assessment and identify safety considerations for a patient with a stroke, including reviewing a Morse Fall Risk scale and providing patient education. The students are also expected to assess for bilateral joint mobility and strength.

Lernziele für das Szenario

Upon completion of the simulation, the student will be able to:

Scenario-specific

Perform a focused assessment of the musculoskeletal system, paying attention to bilateral/symmetrical principles of assessment
Discuss terminology and musculoskeletal system assessment scales
Demonstrate safety principles in relation to mobility
Explain the importance of exercises and mobility in the rehabilitation process

Note: The general objectives are generic in nature and once learners have been exposed to the content, they are expected to maintain competency in these areas. Not every simulation will include all of the general objectives listed.

Lehrplanziele

Identify personal strengths and weaknesses in light of essential knowledge and skills of nursing
Conduct assessments in an organized, systematic manner
Establish a therapeutic environment and alliance for engaging patients and their families
Document nursing assessment activities in a concise, descriptive, and legally appropriate manner
Provide a safe environment for both patients and staff while maintaining patient privacy
Apply principles of infection control, including demonstrating hand washing and appropriate use of personal protective equipment
Use therapeutic communication techniques in a manner that illustrates caring for the patient’s overall well-being and reflects cultural awareness and psychosocial needs
Demonstrate a process of critical thinking when conducting an assessment and interpreting data
Make clinical judgments and decisions using evidence-based practice

Lehrhinweise

The scenario includes a list of the 2019 NCLEX-RN Test Plan Categories that are being addressed in the scenario.

Separater Anhang zum Herunterladen und Ausdrucken: View NCLEX Test Plan Categories 2019

Prior to simulation, the students should be familiar with the following topics:

Range of motion
Safety issues for patients who have experienced a stroke
Musculoskeletal (MSK) rating scales – such as the scale for muscle strength (0-5)
Fall risk assessment – Morse Fall Scale

Before the simulation begins, all students should:

Complete all recommended pre-simulation requirements
Receive an orientation to the simulator and the room
Understand general objectives, guidelines and expectations for the simulation
Understand their assigned roles
Understand time frame expectations

This scenario can be used together with vSim® for Nursing Health Assessment (purchased separately). Used together the products form a blended learning program that includes scenarios for standardized patients, virtual simulations, and online curriculum materials.

Patient safety and quality care outcomes are critically dependent on the competence of health care personnel. Building real competence is a step-by-step process that is gained through experience. It includes acquiring new knowledge and skills, getting used to making quick and safe decisions, and training realistically in teams.

Using blended learning technologies such as online reading assignments, documentation assignments, virtual simulations combined with pre- and post-simulation quizzes, guided reflection questions, classroom teaching and human patient simulations will help students gradually build on their theoretical knowledge, skills, and attitudes and move to a higher level of competence. This approach provides a coherent and meaningful learning process which enable the students to put the pieces together from the different disciplines that they have encountered during their education.

When using blended learning, the students can be introduced to the same scenario in different formats. For example, after completing the necessary knowledge acquisition, they can care for a patient in a computer simulation with focus mainly on the cognitive element of patient care and on clinical decision-making. Next, they will meet the same patient in a simulation with a human patient simulator. This will add complexity of having to perform procedures and communicate with the patient, family, and health care team members. When the students experience the same patient encounter through different technologies, it help to reinforce theoretical knowledge and gradually build confidence and competence.

More information about vSim ® for Nursing can be found on Laerdal Medical’s vSim for Nursing product site.

Related Scenarios

This scenario is part of a set of 10 scenarios focusing on health assessment for nursing

Respiratory System Assessment

Head-to-Toe Assessment

Peripheral Vascular System Assessment

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GENERAL OBJECTIVES: At the end of 8 hours, will be able to: Assess the postpartum client with problem of postpartum depression; Formulate nursing diagnosis that is relevant to the patient's situation; Implement the appropriate nursing assessments; Prepare the necessary equipments that will be used in assessing the patient
A Family Case Study
A Family Case Study Presented to the College of Nursing. In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements In CHN/ 1075. FAMILY CASE STUDY. Mr. Sedfrey C. Pascua, RN, MAN Ms. Arlene D. Layupan, RN, MAN. Submitted by: Cecille Juan Mohaimen Macaocom Regin Magallanes Jesybell Reyes Jerry Ann Sumarinas. II. TABLE OF CONTENTS

How to Present a Nursing Case Study

What Is a Case Study in Nursing?

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Creating a Patient-Centered Case Study

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Health Case Studies

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Table of Contents

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Writing Tips

Nursing Case Study Writing Step-By-Step Guide

1. Choosing a Relevant Case

2. Gathering Information

3. Setting the Stage

4. Clinical Assessment

5. Diagnosis and Planning

6. Implementation and Evaluation

7. Reflection and Learning

8. References and Citations

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A mixed methods study using case studies prepared by nursing students as a clinical practice evaluation tool

Cristina Oter‐Quintana

Azucena Pedraz‐Marcos

Juana Robledo‐Martin

Associated Data

1. INTRODUCTION

2. BACKGROUND

3. THE STUDY

4.1. Design

4.2. Population and sample

4.3. Data collection

4.4. Data analysis

4.5. Ethical considerations

5.1. The challenge of preparing the case study

5.2. The variable nature of the evaluations

6. DISCUSSION

6.1. Limitations

7. CONCLUSION

CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT

Rubric for evaluating case studies.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

3.2: Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

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