Nursing: How to Write Case Studies

Writing case studies for the Internet: A challenge for registered nurses

Writing and presenting case studies is an important aspect of nursing. Registered nurses, who enjoy writing, may be interested in publishing professional case studies on the Internet. This could prove to be an exciting challenge.

What is a case study?

A case study is a compilation of vital information about a patient, written and presented by a nurse to other nurses, as well as others who may be involved in the nursing care of a specific patient. The presentation of case studies is an effective means of communication between doctors, nurses and other medical staff. Case studies are used to train new nurses, improve patient care, increase medical awareness through ongoing research, introduce new equipment and upgrade nursing education. Unique or informative case studies may be published in nursing magazines or medical journals.

Case studies are used in many different ways. For instance, when a patient is in the hospital, a nursing case study may be presented to all of the staff on a particular floor, by a registered nurse, working in conjunction with the patient's physician, other registered nurses or caregivers, rehabilitation staff, dietician and family members. Anyone currently involved with the patient and his or her care is encouraged to participate in the presentation. At times, the patient is invited to attend.

A case study may be presented when a patient is transferred to his or her home, a nursing home or another care giving facility. A registered nurse can use a case study to educate all of the potential caregivers and family members, about the status of the patient, his or her current medical situation and alert them to the patient's current or future needs.

Student nurses write case studies as a compulsory part of their nursing education. Case studies help them to become familiar with different medical scenarios, as they learn how to respond to them. Student nurse's case studies are written with reference to patients they are nursing. They may be presented in a classroom setting to their instructors and other student nurses. Nursing instructors assess and evaluate the student nurse's level of understanding and performance. These case studies may also be presented on the floor, where the student nurses are working with patients.

More advanced nursing case studies are done by senior nursing students, registered nurses seeking to further their education, as well as graduate or post graduate nurses participating in college or university degree programs. These kinds of academic case studies may be on a research level to advance the scope of medical education and broaden the horizons of nursing. They may be published.

There are many possible options with respect to writing nursing case studies, as each one is unique.

How to write a case study depends upon by why it is written, if it will be presented to others and whether or not it is going to be published.

A nursing case study may include the following basic information:

Patient data:  Pertinent patient data is essential to identify the patient requiring nursing care, correctly. Protecting the patient, his or her identity and personal information is vital. Patient confidentiality must be respected and maintained, at all times. A fictitious name may be used in a case study. A patient (or family) must give written permission to release pertinent patient information, if a unique case study is published.

Medical diagnosis and other pertinent medical information:This information comes directly from the physician and includes the medical directives or guidelines, as well as the recommended treatment, in conjunction with the diagnosis of the patient. Confidentiality is important with regard to the release any medical diagnosis or other medical information. This kind of information is disclosed only to medical personal and family members, by the physician. With respect to the possible publication of this kind of information, permission must be obtained first. In some instances, it may be published anonymously.

Nursing care guidelines: Each nursing case study has specific nursing guidelines, depending upon the medical diagnosis, proposed treatment and nursing care recommended. These nursing care directives are established by the registered nurse under the guidance of the physician and in conjunction with other care givers. This will include information about medications to be administered, intravenous therapy, various procedures and treatments. There may be specific instructions regarding dietary management, physiotherapy and rehabilitation.

The special needs of the patient: This part of a case study is important, as each patient is a unique individual and must be properly assessed by the registered nurse and other caregivers, while being given appropriate nursing care. The information is documented  in the form of a chart. The patient's chart is accessible to a nurse involved in writing a case study. This takes the patient's progress, as well as his or her personal needs and preferences into consideration. It helps everyone to focus on a realistic plan of action, with regard to maintaining the patient's health status and general well being. This information may include different aspects of the patient's life like family relationships, religious preferences, financial concerns and visiting restrictions.

Prognosis, realistic goals and expectations: Most case studies include basic information about the anticipated prognosis of a patient. Short and long term goals are important. There are determined by the physician and nurses, after a patient has been properly assessed. Nursing case studies are open to be expanded upon, until the time of presentation or publication, as the patient situation may change at any time.

These five areas of information establish the basic foundation for almost any nursing case study.

Future articles on this topic might include examples of unique case studies by registered nurses. The publication of anonymous nursing case studies on the internet, presents an option for registered nurses, in this era.