how to present a case study nursing

How to Write a Nursing Case Study Paper (A Guide)

Most nursing students dread writing a nursing case study analysis paper, yet it is a mandatory assignment; call it a rite of passage in nursing school. This is because it is a somewhat tricky process that is often overwhelming for nursing students. Nevertheless, by reading this guide prepared by our best nursing students, you should be able to easily and quickly write a nursing case study that can get you an excellent grade.

How different is this guide from similar guides all over the internet? Very different!

This guide provides all the pieces of information that one would need to write an A-grade nursing case study. These include the format for a nursing case study, a step-by-step guide on how to write a nursing case study, and all the important tips to follow when writing a nursing case study.

This comprehensive guide was developed by the top nursing essay writers at NurseMyGrade, so you can trust that the information herein is a gem that will catapult your grades to the next level. Expect updates as we unravel further information about writing a nursing case study.

Now that you know you've discovered a gold mine , let's get right into it.

What Is a Nursing Case Study?

A nursing case study is a natural or imagined patient scenario designed to test the knowledge and skills of student nurses. Nursing case study assignments usually focus on testing knowledge and skills in areas of nursing study related to daily nursing practice.

As a nursing student, you must expect a nursing case study assignment at some point in your academic life. The fact that you are reading this post means that point is now.

While there is no standard structure for writing a nursing case study assignment, some things or elements must be present in your nursing assignment for your professor to consider it complete.

In the next section, you will discover what your instructor n expects in your nursing case study analysis. Remember, these are assignments where you are given a case study and are expected to write a case analysis report explaining how to handle such scenarios in real-life settings.

The Nursing Case Study Template

The typical nursing case study has nine sections. These are:

• Introduction
• Case presentation (Patient info, history, and medical condition)
• Diagnosis/Nursing assessment
• Intervention/Nursing care plan
• Discussion and recommendations

The Structure of a Nursing Case Study Analysis

You now know what nursing professors expect in a nursing case study analysis. In this section, we will explain what to include in each section of your nursing case study analysis to make it an excellent one.

1. Title page

The title page is essential in all types of academic writing. You must include it in your nursing case study analysis or any other essay or paper. And you must include it in the format recommended by your college.

If your college has no specific title page format, use the title page format of the style requested in the assignment prompt. In nursing college, virtually all assignments should be written in Harvard or APA format .

So, check your assignment prompt and create your title page correctly. The typical title page should include the topic of your paper, your name, the name of your professor, the course name, the date you are submitting the paper, and the name of your college.

2. Abstract

Most nursing professors require you to include an abstract in your nursing case study analysis. And even when you are not explicitly required to write one, it is good to do so. Of course, you should consult with your professor before doing so.

When writing an abstract for your paper, make sure it is about 200 words long. The abstract should include a brief summary of the case study, including all the essential information in the patient presentation, such as the history, age, and current diagnosis.

The summary should also include the nursing assessment, the current interventions, and recommendations.

3. Introduction

After writing the title page and the abstract, start writing the introduction. The introduction of a nursing case study analysis must briefly include the patient's presentation, current diagnosis and medication, and recommendations. It must also include a strong thesis statement that shows what the paper is all about.

You shouldn't just write an introduction for the sake of it. If you do so, your introduction will be bland. You need to put in good effort when writing your introduction. The best way to do this is to use your introduction to show you understand the case study perfectly and that you will analyze it right.

You can always write your introduction last. Many students do this because they believe writing an introduction last makes it more precise and accurate.

4. Case Presentation (Status of the Patient)

After introducing your nursing case study analysis, you should present the case where you outline the patient's status. It is usually straightforward to present a case.

You must paraphrase the patient scenario in the assignment prompt or brief. Focus on the demographic data of the patient (who they are, age, race, height, skin tone, occupation, relationships, marital status, appearance, etc.), why they are in the case study or scenario, reasons they sought medical attention, chief complaint, and current diagnosis and treatment. You should also discuss the actions performed on the patient, such as admission to the ICU, taking vital signs, recommending tests, etc.

In short, everything necessary in the patient scenario should be in your case presentation. You only need to avoid copying the patient scenario or case study word-for-word when writing your case presentation.

5. Diagnosis and Assessment

After the case presentation, you should explain the diagnosis. In other words, you should explain the condition, disease, or medical situation highlighted in the case presentation. For example, if the patient is a heavy smoker and he has COPD, it is at this point that you explain how COPD is linked to heavy smoking.

This is the section where you thoroughly discuss the disease process (pathophysiology) by highlighting the causes, symptoms, observations, and treatment methods. You should relate these to the patient's status and give concrete evidence. You should describe the progression of the disease from when the client was admitted to a few hours or days after they were stabilized. Consider the first indication of the disease that prompted the patient to seek further medical assistance.  

Your paper should also elucidate the diagnostic tests that should be conducted and the differential diagnosis. Ensure that each is given a well-founded rationale.

When explaining the condition, go deep into the pathophysiology. Focus specifically on the patient's risk factors. Ensure you get your explanation from recent nursing literature (peer-reviewed scholarly journals published in the last 5 years). And do not forget to cite all the literature you get your facts from.

In short, this section should explain the patient's condition or suffering.

6. Nursing Intervention

After the diagnosis and nursing assessment section, your nursing case study analysis should have an intervention section. This section is also known as the nursing care planning section. What you are supposed to do in this section is to present a nursing care plan for the patient presented in the patient scenario. You should describe the nursing care plan and goals for the patient. Record all the anticipated positive changes and assess whether the care plan addresses the patient's condition.

A good nursing care plan details the patient's chief complaints or critical problems. It then describes the causes of these problems using evidence from recent medical or nursing literature. It then details the potential intervention for each problem. Lastly, it includes goals and evaluation strategies for the measures. Most professors, predominantly Australian and UK professors, prefer if this section is in table format.

Some nursing professors regard the intervention section (or nursing care plan section) as the most critical part of a nursing case study. This is because this part details precisely how the student nurse will react to the patient scenario (which is what the nursing professors want to know). So, ensure you make a reasonable effort when developing this section to get an excellent grade.

7. Discussion and Recommendations

The intervention section in a nursing case study is followed by a discussion and recommendations section. In this section, you are supposed to expound on the patient scenario, the diagnosis, and the nursing care plan. You should also expound on the potential outcomes if the care plan is followed correctly. The discussion should also explain the rationale for the care plan or its significant bits.

Recommendations should follow the discussion. Recommendations usually involve everything necessary that can be done or changed to manage a patient's condition or prevent its reoccurrence. Anything that enhances the patient's well-being can be a recommendation. Just make sure your key recommendations are supported by evidence.

8. Conclusion

This is the second last section of a typical nursing case study. What you need here is to summarize the entire case study. Ensure your summary has at least the case presentation, the nursing assessment/diagnosis, the intervention, and the key recommendations.

At the very end of your conclusion, add a closing statement. The statement should wrap up the whole thing nicely. Try to make it as impressive as possible.

9. References

This is the last section of a nursing case study. No nursing case study is complete without a references section. You should ensure your case study has in-text citations and a references page.

And you should make sure both are written as recommended in the assignment. The style section is usually Harvard or APA. Follow the recommended style to get a good grade on your essay.

Step-By-Step Guide to Writing a Nursing Case Study

You know all the key sections you must include in a nursing case study. You also know what exactly you need to do in each section. It is time to learn how to write a nursing case study. The process detailed below should be easy to follow because you know the typical nursing case study structure.

1. Understand the Assignment

When given a nursing case study assignment, the first thing you need to do is to read. You need to read two pieces of information slowly and carefully.

First, you need to read the prompt itself slowly and carefully. This is important because the prompt will have essential bits of information you need to know, including the style, the format, the word count, and the number of references needed. All these bits of information are essential to ensure your writing is correct.

Second, you need to read the patient scenario slowly and carefully. You should do this to understand it clearly so that you do not make any mistakes in your analysis.

2. Create a Rough Outline

Failure to plan is a plan to fail. That is not what you are in it for anyway! In other words, do not fail to create an outline for your case study analysis. Use the template provided in this essay to create a rough outline for your nursing case study analysis.

Ensure your outline is as detailed as it can be at this stage. You can do light research to achieve this aim. However, this is not exactly necessary because this is just a rough outline.

3. Conduct thorough research

After creating a rough outline, you should conduct thorough research. Your research should especially focus on providing a credible and evidence-based nursing assessment of the patient problem(s). You should only use evidence from recent nursing or medical literature.

You must also conduct thorough research to develop an effective intervention or nursing care plan. So when researching the patient's problem and its diagnosis, you should also research the most suitable intervention or do it right after.

When conducting research, you should always note down your sources. So for every piece of information you find, and what to use, you should have its reference.

After conducting thorough research, you should enhance your rough outline using the new information you have discovered. Make sure it is as comprehensive as possible.

4. Write your nursing case study

You must follow your comprehensive outline to write your case study analysis at this stage. If you created a good outline, you should find it very easy to write your nursing case study analysis.

If you did not, writing your nursing case study will be challenging. Whenever you are stuck writing your case study analysis paper, you should re-read the part where we explain what to include in every section of your analysis. Doing so will help you know what to write to continue your essay. Writing a nursing case study analysis usually takes only a few hours.

5. Reference your case study

After writing your case study, ensure you add all in-text citations if you have not already. And when adding them, you should follow the style/format recommended in the assignment prompt (usually APA or Harvard style).

After adding in-text citations exactly where they need to be and in the correct format, add all the references you have used in a references page. And you should add them correctly as per the rules of the style you were asked to use.

Do not forget to organize your references alphabetically after creating your references page.

6. Thoroughly edit your case study

After STEP 5 above, you need to edit your case study. You should edit it slowly and carefully. Do this by proofreading it twice. Proofread it slowly each time to discover all the grammar, style, and punctuation errors. Remove all the errors you find.

After proofreading your essay twice, recheck it to ensure every sentence is straightforward. This will transform your ordinary case study into an A-grade one. Of course, it must also have all the standard sections expected in a case study.

Recheck your case study using a grammarly.com or a similar computer grammar checker to ensure it is perfect. Doing this will help you catch and eliminate all the remaining errors in your work.

7. Submit your case study analysis

After proofreading and editing your case study analysis, it will be 100% ready for submission. Just convert it into the format it is required in and submit it.

 Nursing Case Study Tips and Tricks

The guide above and other information in this article should help you develop a good nursing case study analysis. Note that this guide focuses entirely on nursing case scenario-based papers, not research study-based nursing case studies. The tips and tricks in this section should help you ensure that the nursing case study analysis you create is excellent.

1. Begin early

The moment you see a nursing case study assignment prompt, identify a date to start writing it and create your own deadline to beat before the deadline stated in the prompt.

Do this and start writing your case study analysis early before your deadline. You will have plenty of time to do excellent research, develop an excellent paper, and edit your final paper as thoroughly as you want.

Most student nurses combine work and study. Therefore, if you decide to leave a nursing case study assignment until late to complete it, something could come up, and you could end up failing to submit it or submitting a rushed case study analysis.

2. Use the proper terminology

When writing an essay or any other academic paper, you are always encouraged to use the most straightforward language to make your work easy to understand. However, this is not true when writing a nursing case study analysis. While your work should certainly be easy to understand, you must use the right nursing terminology at every point where it is necessary. Failure to do this could damage your work or make it look less professional or convincing.

3. Avoid copying and pasting

If you are a serious nursing student, you know that copying and pasting are prohibited in assignments. However, sometimes copying and pasting can seem okay in nursing case studies. For example, it can seem okay to copy-paste the patient presentation. However, this is not okay. You are supposed to paraphrase the verbatim when presenting the patient presentation in your essay. You should also avoid copy-pasting information or texts directly. Every fact or evidence you research and find should be paraphrased to appear in your work. And it should be cited correctly.

4. Always ask for help if stuck

This is very important. Students are usually overwhelmed with academic work, especially a month or two to the end of the semester. If you are overwhelmed and think you will not have the time to complete your nursing case study analysis or submit a quality one, ask for help. Ask for help from a nursing assignment-help website like ours, and you will soon have a paper ready that you can use as you please. If you choose to get help from us, you will get a well-researched, well-planned, well-developed, and fully edited nursing case study.

5. Format your paper correctly

Many students forget to do proper formatting after writing their nursing case study analyses. Before you submit your paper, make sure you format it correctly. If you do not format your paper correctly, you will lose marks because of poor formatting. If you feel you are not very confident with your APA or Harvard formatting skills, send your paper to us to get it correctly formatted and ready for submission.

Now that you are all set up ...

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We have experienced nursing experts available every day of the week to provide nursing assignment help. They can easily research and write virtually any nursing assignment, including a nursing case study. So, if the information provided in this article isn't making you feel any optimistic about writing an excellent nursing case study, get help from us.

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A guide on how to structure a case presentation

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-History of presenting problem

-Medical and surgical history

-Drugs, including allergies to drugs

-Family history

-Social history

-Review of systems

-Findings on examination, including vital signs and observations

-Differential diagnosis/impression

-Investigations

-Management

Presenting patient cases is a key part of everyday clinical practice. A well delivered presentation has the potential to facilitate patient care and improve efficiency on ward rounds, as well as a means of teaching and assessing clinical competence. 1

The purpose of a case presentation is to communicate your diagnostic reasoning to the listener, so that he or she has a clear picture of the patient’s condition and further management can be planned accordingly. 2 To give a high quality presentation you need to take a thorough history. Consultants make decisions about patient care based on information presented to them by junior members of the team, so the importance of accurately presenting your patient cannot be overemphasised.

As a medical student, you are likely to be asked to present in numerous settings. A formal case presentation may take place at a teaching session or even at a conference or scientific meeting. These presentations are usually thorough and have an accompanying PowerPoint presentation or poster. More often, case presentations take place on the wards or over the phone and tend to be brief, using only memory or short, handwritten notes as an aid.

Everyone has their own presenting style, and the context of the presentation will determine how much detail you need to put in. You should anticipate what information your senior colleagues will need to know about the patient’s history and the care he or she has received since admission, to enable them to make further management decisions. In this article, I use a fictitious case to …

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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.

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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."

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Blog Business How to Present a Case Study like a Pro (With Examples)

How to Present a Case Study like a Pro (With Examples)

Written by: Danesh Ramuthi Sep 07, 2023

Okay, let’s get real: case studies can be kinda snooze-worthy. But guess what? They don’t have to be!

In this article, I will cover every element that transforms a mere report into a compelling case study, from selecting the right metrics to using persuasive narrative techniques.

And if you’re feeling a little lost, don’t worry! There are cool tools like Venngage’s Case Study Creator to help you whip up something awesome, even if you’re short on time. Plus, the pre-designed case study templates are like instant polish because let’s be honest, everyone loves a shortcut.

Click to jump ahead: 

What is a case study presentation?

What is the purpose of presenting a case study, how to structure a case study presentation, how long should a case study presentation be, 5 case study presentation examples with templates, 6 tips for delivering an effective case study presentation, 5 common mistakes to avoid in a case study presentation, how to present a case study faqs.

A case study presentation involves a comprehensive examination of a specific subject, which could range from an individual, group, location, event, organization or phenomenon.

They’re like puzzles you get to solve with the audience, all while making you think outside the box.

Unlike a basic report or whitepaper, the purpose of a case study presentation is to stimulate critical thinking among the viewers. 

The primary objective of a case study is to provide an extensive and profound comprehension of the chosen topic. You don’t just throw numbers at your audience. You use examples and real-life cases to make you think and see things from different angles.

The primary purpose of presenting a case study is to offer a comprehensive, evidence-based argument that informs, persuades and engages your audience.

Here’s the juicy part: presenting that case study can be your secret weapon. Whether you’re pitching a groundbreaking idea to a room full of suits or trying to impress your professor with your A-game, a well-crafted case study can be the magic dust that sprinkles brilliance over your words.

Think of it like digging into a puzzle you can’t quite crack . A case study lets you explore every piece, turn it over and see how it fits together. This close-up look helps you understand the whole picture, not just a blurry snapshot.

It’s also your chance to showcase how you analyze things, step by step, until you reach a conclusion. It’s all about being open and honest about how you got there.

Besides, presenting a case study gives you an opportunity to connect data and real-world scenarios in a compelling narrative. It helps to make your argument more relatable and accessible, increasing its impact on your audience.

One of the contexts where case studies can be very helpful is during the job interview. In some job interviews, you as candidates may be asked to present a case study as part of the selection process.

Having a case study presentation prepared allows the candidate to demonstrate their ability to understand complex issues, formulate strategies and communicate their ideas effectively.

The way you present a case study can make all the difference in how it’s received. A well-structured presentation not only holds the attention of your audience but also ensures that your key points are communicated clearly and effectively.

In this section, let’s go through the key steps that’ll help you structure your case study presentation for maximum impact.

Let’s get into it. 

Open with an introductory overview 

Start by introducing the subject of your case study and its relevance. Explain why this case study is important and who would benefit from the insights gained. This is your opportunity to grab your audience’s attention.

Explain the problem in question

Dive into the problem or challenge that the case study focuses on. Provide enough background information for the audience to understand the issue. If possible, quantify the problem using data or metrics to show the magnitude or severity.

Detail the solutions to solve the problem

After outlining the problem, describe the steps taken to find a solution. This could include the methodology, any experiments or tests performed and the options that were considered. Make sure to elaborate on why the final solution was chosen over the others.

Key stakeholders Involved

Talk about the individuals, groups or organizations that were directly impacted by or involved in the problem and its solution. 

Stakeholders may experience a range of outcomes—some may benefit, while others could face setbacks.

For example, in a business transformation case study, employees could face job relocations or changes in work culture, while shareholders might be looking at potential gains or losses.

Discuss the key results & outcomes

Discuss the results of implementing the solution. Use data and metrics to back up your statements. Did the solution meet its objectives? What impact did it have on the stakeholders? Be honest about any setbacks or areas for improvement as well.

Include visuals to support your analysis

Visual aids can be incredibly effective in helping your audience grasp complex issues. Utilize charts, graphs, images or video clips to supplement your points. Make sure to explain each visual and how it contributes to your overall argument.

Pie charts illustrate the proportion of different components within a whole, useful for visualizing market share, budget allocation or user demographics.

This is particularly useful especially if you’re displaying survey results in your case study presentation.

Stacked charts on the other hand are perfect for visualizing composition and trends. This is great for analyzing things like customer demographics, product breakdowns or budget allocation in your case study.

Consider this example of a stacked bar chart template. It provides a straightforward summary of the top-selling cake flavors across various locations, offering a quick and comprehensive view of the data.

Not the chart you’re looking for? Browse Venngage’s gallery of chart templates to find the perfect one that’ll captivate your audience and level up your data storytelling.

Recommendations and next steps

Wrap up by providing recommendations based on the case study findings. Outline the next steps that stakeholders should take to either expand on the success of the project or address any remaining challenges.

Acknowledgments and references

Thank the people who contributed to the case study and helped in the problem-solving process. Cite any external resources, reports or data sets that contributed to your analysis.

Feedback & Q&A session

Open the floor for questions and feedback from your audience. This allows for further discussion and can provide additional insights that may not have been considered previously.

Closing remarks

Conclude the presentation by summarizing the key points and emphasizing the takeaways. Thank your audience for their time and participation and express your willingness to engage in further discussions or collaborations on the subject.

Well, the length of a case study presentation can vary depending on the complexity of the topic and the needs of your audience. However, a typical business or academic presentation often lasts between 15 to 30 minutes. 

This time frame usually allows for a thorough explanation of the case while maintaining audience engagement. However, always consider leaving a few minutes at the end for a Q&A session to address any questions or clarify points made during the presentation.

When it comes to presenting a compelling case study, having a well-structured template can be a game-changer. 

It helps you organize your thoughts, data and findings in a coherent and visually pleasing manner. 

Not all case studies are created equal and different scenarios require distinct approaches for maximum impact. 

To save you time and effort, I have curated a list of 5 versatile case study presentation templates, each designed for specific needs and audiences. 

Here are some best case study presentation examples that showcase effective strategies for engaging your audience and conveying complex information clearly.

1 . Lab report case study template

Ever feel like your research gets lost in a world of endless numbers and jargon? Lab case studies are your way out!

Think of it as building a bridge between your cool experiment and everyone else. It’s more than just reporting results – it’s explaining the “why” and “how” in a way that grabs attention and makes sense.

This lap report template acts as a blueprint for your report, guiding you through each essential section (introduction, methods, results, etc.) in a logical order.

Want to present your research like a pro? Browse our research presentation template gallery for creative inspiration!

2. Product case study template

It’s time you ditch those boring slideshows and bullet points because I’ve got a better way to win over clients: product case study templates.

Instead of just listing features and benefits, you get to create a clear and concise story that shows potential clients exactly what your product can do for them. It’s like painting a picture they can easily visualize, helping them understand the value your product brings to the table.

Grab the template below, fill in the details, and watch as your product’s impact comes to life!

3. Content marketing case study template

In digital marketing, showcasing your accomplishments is as vital as achieving them. 

A well-crafted case study not only acts as a testament to your successes but can also serve as an instructional tool for others. 

With this coral content marketing case study template—a perfect blend of vibrant design and structured documentation, you can narrate your marketing triumphs effectively.

4. Case study psychology template

Understanding how people tick is one of psychology’s biggest quests and case studies are like magnifying glasses for the mind. They offer in-depth looks at real-life behaviors, emotions and thought processes, revealing fascinating insights into what makes us human.

Writing a top-notch case study, though, can be a challenge. It requires careful organization, clear presentation and meticulous attention to detail. That’s where a good case study psychology template comes in handy.

Think of it as a helpful guide, taking care of formatting and structure while you focus on the juicy content. No more wrestling with layouts or margins – just pour your research magic into crafting a compelling narrative.

5. Lead generation case study template

Lead generation can be a real head-scratcher. But here’s a little help: a lead generation case study.

Think of it like a friendly handshake and a confident resume all rolled into one. It’s your chance to showcase your expertise, share real-world successes and offer valuable insights. Potential clients get to see your track record, understand your approach and decide if you’re the right fit.

No need to start from scratch, though. This lead generation case study template guides you step-by-step through crafting a clear, compelling narrative that highlights your wins and offers actionable tips for others. Fill in the gaps with your specific data and strategies, and voilà! You’ve got a powerful tool to attract new customers.

Related: 15+ Professional Case Study Examples [Design Tips + Templates]

So, you’ve spent hours crafting the perfect case study and are now tasked with presenting it. Crafting the case study is only half the battle; delivering it effectively is equally important. 

Whether you’re facing a room of executives, academics or potential clients, how you present your findings can make a significant difference in how your work is received. 

Forget boring reports and snooze-inducing presentations! Let’s make your case study sing. Here are some key pointers to turn information into an engaging and persuasive performance:

• Know your audience : Tailor your presentation to the knowledge level and interests of your audience. Remember to use language and examples that resonate with them.
• Rehearse : Rehearsing your case study presentation is the key to a smooth delivery and for ensuring that you stay within the allotted time. Practice helps you fine-tune your pacing, hone your speaking skills with good word pronunciations and become comfortable with the material, leading to a more confident, conversational and effective presentation.
• Start strong : Open with a compelling introduction that grabs your audience’s attention. You might want to use an interesting statistic, a provocative question or a brief story that sets the stage for your case study.
• Be clear and concise : Avoid jargon and overly complex sentences. Get to the point quickly and stay focused on your objectives.
• Use visual aids : Incorporate slides with graphics, charts or videos to supplement your verbal presentation. Make sure they are easy to read and understand.
• Tell a story : Use storytelling techniques to make the case study more engaging. A well-told narrative can help you make complex data more relatable and easier to digest.

Ditching the dry reports and slide decks? Venngage’s case study templates let you wow customers with your solutions and gain insights to improve your business plan. Pre-built templates, visual magic and customer captivation – all just a click away. Go tell your story and watch them say “wow!”

Nailed your case study, but want to make your presentation even stronger? Avoid these common mistakes to ensure your audience gets the most out of it:

Overloading with information

A case study is not an encyclopedia. Overloading your presentation with excessive data, text or jargon can make it cumbersome and difficult for the audience to digest the key points. Stick to what’s essential and impactful. Need help making your data clear and impactful? Our data presentation templates can help! Find clear and engaging visuals to showcase your findings.

Lack of structure

Jumping haphazardly between points or topics can confuse your audience. A well-structured presentation, with a logical flow from introduction to conclusion, is crucial for effective communication.

Ignoring the audience

Different audiences have different needs and levels of understanding. Failing to adapt your presentation to your audience can result in a disconnect and a less impactful presentation.

Poor visual elements

While content is king, poor design or lack of visual elements can make your case study dull or hard to follow. Make sure you use high-quality images, graphs and other visual aids to support your narrative.

Not focusing on results

A case study aims to showcase a problem and its solution, but what most people care about are the results. Failing to highlight or adequately explain the outcomes can make your presentation fall flat.

How to start a case study presentation?

Starting a case study presentation effectively involves a few key steps:

• Grab attention : Open with a hook—an intriguing statistic, a provocative question or a compelling visual—to engage your audience from the get-go.
• Set the stage : Briefly introduce the subject, context and relevance of the case study to give your audience an idea of what to expect.
• Outline objectives : Clearly state what the case study aims to achieve. Are you solving a problem, proving a point or showcasing a success?
• Agenda : Give a quick outline of the key sections or topics you’ll cover to help the audience follow along.
• Set expectations : Let your audience know what you want them to take away from the presentation, whether it’s knowledge, inspiration or a call to action.

How to present a case study on PowerPoint and on Google Slides?

Presenting a case study on PowerPoint and Google Slides involves a structured approach for clarity and impact using presentation slides :

• Title slide : Start with a title slide that includes the name of the case study, your name and any relevant institutional affiliations.
• Introduction : Follow with a slide that outlines the problem or situation your case study addresses. Include a hook to engage the audience.
• Objectives : Clearly state the goals of the case study in a dedicated slide.
• Findings : Use charts, graphs and bullet points to present your findings succinctly.
• Analysis : Discuss what the findings mean, drawing on supporting data or secondary research as necessary.
• Conclusion : Summarize key takeaways and results.
• Q&A : End with a slide inviting questions from the audience.

What’s the role of analysis in a case study presentation?

The role of analysis in a case study presentation is to interpret the data and findings, providing context and meaning to them. 

It helps your audience understand the implications of the case study, connects the dots between the problem and the solution and may offer recommendations for future action.

Is it important to include real data and results in the presentation?

Yes, including real data and results in a case study presentation is crucial to show experience,  credibility and impact. Authentic data lends weight to your findings and conclusions, enabling the audience to trust your analysis and take your recommendations more seriously

How do I conclude a case study presentation effectively?

To conclude a case study presentation effectively, summarize the key findings, insights and recommendations in a clear and concise manner. 

End with a strong call-to-action or a thought-provoking question to leave a lasting impression on your audience.

What’s the best way to showcase data in a case study presentation ?

The best way to showcase data in a case study presentation is through visual aids like charts, graphs and infographics which make complex information easily digestible, engaging and creative. 

Don’t just report results, visualize them! This template for example lets you transform your social media case study into a captivating infographic that sparks conversation.

Choose the type of visual that best represents the data you’re showing; for example, use bar charts for comparisons or pie charts for parts of a whole. 

Ensure that the visuals are high-quality and clearly labeled, so the audience can quickly grasp the key points. 

Keep the design consistent and simple, avoiding clutter or overly complex visuals that could distract from the message.

Choose a template that perfectly suits your case study where you can utilize different visual aids for maximum impact. 

Need more inspiration on how to turn numbers into impact with the help of infographics? Our ready-to-use infographic templates take the guesswork out of creating visual impact for your case studies with just a few clicks.

Related: 10+ Case Study Infographic Templates That Convert

Congrats on mastering the art of compelling case study presentations! This guide has equipped you with all the essentials, from structure and nuances to avoiding common pitfalls. You’re ready to impress any audience, whether in the boardroom, the classroom or beyond.

And remember, you’re not alone in this journey. Venngage’s Case Study Creator is your trusty companion, ready to elevate your presentations from ordinary to extraordinary. So, let your confidence shine, leverage your newly acquired skills and prepare to deliver presentations that truly resonate.

Go forth and make a lasting impact!

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How to Use Unfolding Case Studies as a Clinical Replacement Activity

Keith Rischer – Ph.D., RN, CCRN, CEN

As a nurse with over 35 years of experience who remained in practice as an educator, I’ve witnessed the gap between how nursing is taught and how it is practiced, and I decided to do something about it! Read more…

The Ultimate Solution to Develop Clinical Judgment Skills

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A practical strategy to address incivility in nursing education, recommended for you.

• Roberta Heale 1 ,
• Alison Twycross 2
• 1 School of Nursing , Laurentian University , Sudbury , Ontario , Canada
• 2 School of Health and Social Care , London South Bank University , London , UK
• Correspondence to Dr Roberta Heale, School of Nursing, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E2C6, Canada; rheale{at}laurentian.ca

https://doi.org/10.1136/eb-2017-102845

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What is it?

Case study is a research methodology, typically seen in social and life sciences. There is no one definition of case study research. 1 However, very simply… ‘a case study can be defined as an intensive study about a person, a group of people or a unit, which is aimed to generalize over several units’. 1 A case study has also been described as an intensive, systematic investigation of a single individual, group, community or some other unit in which the researcher examines in-depth data relating to several variables. 2

Often there are several similar cases to consider such as educational or social service programmes that are delivered from a number of locations. Although similar, they are complex and have unique features. In these circumstances, the evaluation of several, similar cases will provide a better answer to a research question than if only one case is examined, hence the multiple-case study. Stake asserts that the cases are grouped and viewed as one entity, called the quintain . 6  ‘We study what is similar and different about the cases to understand the quintain better’. 6

The steps when using case study methodology are the same as for other types of research. 6 The first step is defining the single case or identifying a group of similar cases that can then be incorporated into a multiple-case study. A search to determine what is known about the case(s) is typically conducted. This may include a review of the literature, grey literature, media, reports and more, which serves to establish a basic understanding of the cases and informs the development of research questions. Data in case studies are often, but not exclusively, qualitative in nature. In multiple-case studies, analysis within cases and across cases is conducted. Themes arise from the analyses and assertions about the cases as a whole, or the quintain, emerge. 6

Benefits and limitations of case studies

If a researcher wants to study a specific phenomenon arising from a particular entity, then a single-case study is warranted and will allow for a in-depth understanding of the single phenomenon and, as discussed above, would involve collecting several different types of data. This is illustrated in example 1 below.

Using a multiple-case research study allows for a more in-depth understanding of the cases as a unit, through comparison of similarities and differences of the individual cases embedded within the quintain. Evidence arising from multiple-case studies is often stronger and more reliable than from single-case research. Multiple-case studies allow for more comprehensive exploration of research questions and theory development. 6

Despite the advantages of case studies, there are limitations. The sheer volume of data is difficult to organise and data analysis and integration strategies need to be carefully thought through. There is also sometimes a temptation to veer away from the research focus. 2 Reporting of findings from multiple-case research studies is also challenging at times, 1 particularly in relation to the word limits for some journal papers.

Examples of case studies

Example 1: nurses’ paediatric pain management practices.

One of the authors of this paper (AT) has used a case study approach to explore nurses’ paediatric pain management practices. This involved collecting several datasets:

Observational data to gain a picture about actual pain management practices.

Questionnaire data about nurses’ knowledge about paediatric pain management practices and how well they felt they managed pain in children.

Questionnaire data about how critical nurses perceived pain management tasks to be.

These datasets were analysed separately and then compared 7–9 and demonstrated that nurses’ level of theoretical did not impact on the quality of their pain management practices. 7 Nor did individual nurse’s perceptions of how critical a task was effect the likelihood of them carrying out this task in practice. 8 There was also a difference in self-reported and observed practices 9 ; actual (observed) practices did not confirm to best practice guidelines, whereas self-reported practices tended to.

Example 2: quality of care for complex patients at Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics (NPLCs)

The other author of this paper (RH) has conducted a multiple-case study to determine the quality of care for patients with complex clinical presentations in NPLCs in Ontario, Canada. 10 Five NPLCs served as individual cases that, together, represented the quatrain. Three types of data were collected including:

Review of documentation related to the NPLC model (media, annual reports, research articles, grey literature and regulatory legislation).

Interviews with nurse practitioners (NPs) practising at the five NPLCs to determine their perceptions of the impact of the NPLC model on the quality of care provided to patients with multimorbidity.

Chart audits conducted at the five NPLCs to determine the extent to which evidence-based guidelines were followed for patients with diabetes and at least one other chronic condition.

The three sources of data collected from the five NPLCs were analysed and themes arose related to the quality of care for complex patients at NPLCs. The multiple-case study confirmed that nurse practitioners are the primary care providers at the NPLCs, and this positively impacts the quality of care for patients with multimorbidity. Healthcare policy, such as lack of an increase in salary for NPs for 10 years, has resulted in issues in recruitment and retention of NPs at NPLCs. This, along with insufficient resources in the communities where NPLCs are located and high patient vulnerability at NPLCs, have a negative impact on the quality of care. 10

These examples illustrate how collecting data about a single case or multiple cases helps us to better understand the phenomenon in question. Case study methodology serves to provide a framework for evaluation and analysis of complex issues. It shines a light on the holistic nature of nursing practice and offers a perspective that informs improved patient care.

• Gustafsson J
• Calanzaro M
• Sandelowski M

Competing interests None declared.

Provenance and peer review Commissioned; internally peer reviewed.

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Making the Case for Case-Based Learning

Kirton, Carl A. DNP, MBA, RN, ANP

AJN Editor-in-Chief Email: [email protected]

Is it time for an academic–practice–publishing partnership?

Educators, publishers, and, of course, students are abuzz about the much-anticipated Next Generation NCLEX (NGN), which is set to debut in April. Among the changes in this new exam is that 10% will now be in case study format to better evaluate candidates' clinical judgment and decision-making.

Case-based learning, as any educator will tell you, promotes a higher level of cognition and preps the learner for real world scenarios. This continues to be an established approach to nursing education, especially in today's sophisticated simulation laboratories. Specifically, the next generation prelicensure exam uses an unfolding case strategy with a low-fidelity simulation that challenges nurses' critical thinking without the particulars of the actual patient care environment. An ideal unfolding case fosters real-time assessment that requires interpreting, responding, and reflecting on patient situations in a variety of contexts. So why all the fuss about this new exam format?

Despite attempts to introduce case-based teaching strategies in the classroom, nursing education is still primarily driven by classroom lectures. Effective case-based learning encourages dialogue, discussion and group learning and a faculty role that, as many educators have noted, moves from being a “sage on the stage to a guide on the side.” Developing effective unfolding cases and learning to be a guide in the classroom is no easy task. The ideal unfolding case study captures all the important approaches to patient care expected of the new nurse: recognizing and analyzing, prioritizing hypotheses, generating solutions, taking action, and evaluating outcomes. If we want to prepare the next generation of nurses, we must carefully examine the classroom challenges before us.

Several years ago, I was teaching in a business program that contracted with me to help take its undergraduate programs online. As part of this work, I was assigned an instructional designer and technologist who challenged me to think dramatically differently about teaching and learning. Her mentoring was instrumental not only in content development and online teaching strategies, but also in the use of business cases to teach. Cases started early in the curriculum, scaffolded, and grew in complexity as students progressed through the program. To be successful, I had to let go of less effective ways of teaching, such as the lecture-dominated classroom and textbook-guided learning, and learn new and more effective strategies such as gaming, microlearning, and dealing with ambiguity in student responses (polytomous or partial credit scoring). I had to allow myself to be taught to be a better teacher. Although I had always used cases in my classroom, I learned they were simply preparing students to answer fancy multiple-choice questions. Well-developed cases apply standards, encourage discrimination and information seeking, and apply logical reasoning and predication. When done well, they transform learning into a student-centric format.

My own development as an educator has helped me understand the current buzz. I was fortunate to have a one-to-one mentorship in this process. Not every school or program has the wherewithal to invest the time or resources needed to advance faculty learning in this way. My interaction with both faculty and students has convinced me that nurse educators are stepping up to the challenge to ensure that students are prepared to be tested as critical thinkers. I'm also astonished by the advancement in academic–practice partnerships that are breaking barriers by creating relevant clinical experiences for students through such strategies as dedicated education units.

That leads me to think about the role journals play in the professional development and education of nurses. At AJN we are thinking about how to present case studies to better align with the clinical judgment model tested in the NGN. For example, our enormously popular Strip Savvy case series presents an excellent opportunity to introduce the nursing clinical judgment model into each installment. If journals like ours are primary resources for the advancement and dissemination of knowledge for nursing practice and we commit to the development and dissemination of effective case-based learning, perhaps we need to shift our thinking from the academic–practice partnership to an academic–practice–publishing partnership.

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TEACHING TIPS: TWELVE TIPS FOR MAKING CASE PRESENTATIONS MORE INTERESTING *

1. set the stage.

Prepare the audience for what is to come. If the audience is composed of people of mixed expertise, spend a few minutes forming them into small mixed groups of novices and experts. Explain that this is an opportunity for the more junior to learn from the more senior people. Tell them that the case to be presented is extremely interesting, why it is so and what they may learn from it. The primary objective is to analyze the clinical reasoning that was used rather than the knowledge required, although the acquisition of such knowledge is an added benefit of the session. A “well organized case presentation or clinicopathological conference incorporates the logic of the workup implicitly and thus makes the diagnostic process seem almost preordained”.

A psychiatry resident began by introducing the case as an exciting one, explaining the process and dividing the audience into teams mixing people with varied expertise. He urged everyone to think in ‘real time’ rather than jump ahead and to refrain from considering information that is not normally available at the time: for example, a laboratory report that takes 24 hours to obtain be assessed in the initial workup.

2. PROVIDE ONLY INITIAL CUES AT FIRST

Give them the first two to live cues that were picked up in the first minute or two of the patient encounter either verbally, or written on a transparency. For example, age, sex race and reason for seeking medical help. Ask each group to discuss their first diagnostic hypotheses. Experts and novices will learn a great deal from each other at this stage and the discussions will be animated. The initial cues may number only one or two and hypothesis generation occurs very quickly even in the novices. Indeed, the only difference between the hypotheses of novices and those of experts is in the degree of refinement, not in number.

It is Saturday afternoon and you are the psychiatric emergency physician. A 25-year-old male arrives by ambulance and states that he is feeling suicidal. Groups talked for 4 minutes before the resident called for order to commence step three.

3. ASK FOR HYPOTHESES AND WRITE THEM UP ON THE BLACKBOARD

Call for order and ask people to offer their suggested diagnoses and write these up on a board or transparency.

The following hypotheses were suggested by the groups and the resident wrote them on a flip chart: depression, substance abuse, recent social stressors-crisis, adjustment disorder, organic problem, dysthymia, schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder. The initial three or four bits of information generated eight hypotheses.

4. ALLOW THE AUDIENCE TO ASK FOR INFORMATION

After all hypotheses have been listed instruct the audience to ask for the information they need to confirm or refute these hypotheses. Do not allow them to ‘jump the gun’ by asking for a test result, for example, that would not have been received within the time frame that is being re-lived. There will be a temptation to move too fast and the exercise is wasted if information is given too soon. Recall that the purpose is to help them go through a thinking process which requires time.

Teachers participating in this exercise will receive much diagnostic information about students’ thinking at this stage. Indeed, an interesting teaching session can be conducted by simply asking students to generate hypotheses without proceeding further. There is evidence to suggest that when a diagnosis is not considered initially it is unlikely to be reached over time, Hence it is worth spending time with students to discuss the hypotheses they generate before they proceed with an enquiry.

Directions to the group were to determine what questions they would like to ask, based on gender, age and probabilities, to support or exclude the listed diagnostic possibilities. A sample of question follow:

• Does he work? No, he's unemployed.
• Does he drink? one to three beers a week.
• Why now? He's been feeling worse and worse for the last 3 weeks.
• Social support? He gives alone. Has no girlfriend.
• Appearance? Looks his age. Not shaved today. No shower in 3 days.
• Cultural background? Refugee from Iraq. Muslim.
• How did he get here? He spent 4 years in a refugee camp after spending 4 months walking to Pakistan from Iraq. He left Iraq to avoid military service.
• Suicide thoughts? Increasing the last 3 weeks. He was admitted in December and has been taking chloral hydrate.

This step took 13 minutes.

5. HAVE THE AUDIENCE RE-FORMULATE THEIR LIST OF HYPOTHESES

After enough information has been gained to proceed, ask them to resume their discussion about the problem and reformulate their diagnostic hypotheses in light of the new information. Instruct them to discuss which pieces of information changed the working diagnosis and why. Call for order again and ask people what they now think.

After allowing the group to talk for a few minutes, the resident asked them if there was enough information to strike off any hypotheses or if new hypotheses should be added to the list. One more possibility was added, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). One group's list of priorities was major affective disorder with psychosis, schizophrenia, personality disorder. Another group also placed affective disorder first followed by organic mood disorder.

This step took 25 minutes.

6. FACILITATE A DISCUSSION ABOUT REASONING

Alter the original lists of hypotheses on the board in light of the discussion, or allow one member from each group to alter their own lists. By the use of open-ended questions encourage a general discussion about the reasons a group has for preferring one diagnosis over another.

A general discussion ensued about reasons for these priorities. Then the list was altered so that it read: schizophrenia, personality disorder, PTSD, major affective disorder with psychosis, organic mood disorder.

7. ALLOW ANOTHER ROUND OF INFORMATION SEEKING

Continue with another round of information and small-group discussion or else allow the whole group to interact. By giving information only when asked for and only in correct sequence, each person is challenged to think through the problem.

More information was sought, such as: form of speech? eye contact? affect? substance use? After 5 minutes the resident asked if there were only lab tests they would like. The group asked for thyroid stimulating hormone, T4, electrolytes and were given the results. They also asked for the results of the physical examination and were told that the pulse was 110 and the thyroid was enlarged. At this point some hypotheses were removed from the list.

8. ASK GROUPS TO REACH A FINAL DIAGNOSIS

When there is a lull in the search for information, ask the groups to reach consensus on their final diagnosis, given the information they have. Allow discussion within the groups.

9. CALL FOR EACH GROUP'S FINAL DIAGNOSIS

On each group's list of hypothesis, star or underline the final diagnosis.

The group decided that the most likely diagnosis was affective disorder with psychosis, the actual working diagnosis of the patient.

10. ASK FOR MANAGEMENT OPTIONS

If there is enough time, ask them to form small groups again to discuss treatment options, or conduct the discussion as a large group. Again ask for the reasons why one approach is preferred over another. Particularly ask the experts in the room for their reasoning so that the novices can learn from them.

11. SUMMARIZE

By the time the end is in sight the audience will be so involved that they will not wish to leave. However, 5 minutes before time, call for order and summarize the session. Highlight the key points that have been raised and refer to the objective of the session.

We are now at the end of our time. You have all had the opportunity to use your clinical reasoning skills to generate several hypotheses which are shown on the board. Initially you thought it possible that this man could have any one of a number of diagnoses including depression, substance abuse, adjustment disorder with depressed mood, organic mood disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder. With further information the possible diagnosis shifted to include schizophrenia and personality disorder as well as depression with psychotic features. Finally the diagnosis of depression or mood disorder with psychosis was most strongly supported because of the history of consistently depressed mood over several months, along with disturbed sleep, poor appetite, weight loss, decreased energy and diminished interest in most activities. The initially abnormal thyroid test proved to be a red herring so organic mood disorder related to hyper- or hypo-thyroidism was excluded. Additionally absence of vivid dreams involving a traumatic event made a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder unlikely. Although a diagnosis of schizophrenia could not be totally excluded, this seemed less likely given the findings.

12. CLOSE THE SESSION WITH POSITIVE FEEDBACK

In some respects, but only some, teaching is like acting and one should strive to leave them not laughing as you go, but feeling that they have learned something.

The more novice members of the group have learned from the more experienced and all your suggestions have been valid. It has been interesting for me to follow your reasoning and compare it with mine when I actually saw this man. You have given me a different perspective as you thought of things I had not, and I thank you for your participation.

Although case presentation should be a major learning experience for both novice and experienced physicians they are often conducted in a stultifying way that defies thought. We have presented a series of steps which, if followed, guarantee active participation from the audience and ensure that if experts are in the room their expertise is used. Physicians have been moulded to believe that teaching means telling and, as a consequence, adopt a remote listening stance during case presentations. Indeed the back row often use the time to catch up on much needed sleep! Changing the format requires courage. We urge you to try out these steps so that both you and your audience will learn from and enjoy the process.

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• Case study report for nursing

Part 1: What is it and why?

This video introduces the concept of the case study and identifies how case studies differ to other written assignments.

The most important thing in writing up a case study report is that first, second, and thirdly: It is about the patient, not the condition nor the treatment. Students often put the emphasis on the condition or the treatment because the question usually focuses on this. While you need to explore these things, you still have to bring it back to the patient, and keep the patient central to the whole assignment.


We can understand if busy medical professionals start to see their patients in terms of a condition to be fixed, or a procedure to be performed. But ideally, we should remember that a patient is a person with a complex array of needs and preferences. This means that a simple textbook answer is not always best for them.


In your career, you will need to negotiate adjustments and anticipate problems particular to the patient. It does not make sense to discuss a condition in isolation from the individual. Each patient has their own unique kaleidoscope of history, personality type, fears, medical challenges, needs during recovery, so forth and so on. You need to see their condition or their treatment overall, as part of the whole person. Writing a case study teaches you to do that, if you don’t explore the condition or treatment as part of a holistic system, you case study becomes theoretical, it becomes another essay.


Let’s compare the case study to the essays you might have already written. The case study in nursing explores a particular patient’s situation, while your essays will more likely have focused on disease, a treatment, a concept, or a system. A case study is very grounded in the real and the now, even if the patient is a hypothetical invention. It still provides some fairly authentic experience with dealing with an individual patient.


Essays, on the other hand, tend to be literature-based. Of course, you need to do a lot of research and reading for your case study too, but the difference is for a case study you must always view and evaluate the information in the context of your patient. So in a case study, you need to show that you can find and apply information to you patient. For an essay you need to look at the information itself, pull it apart and evaluate it for its own sake.

So even if the question looks like an essay, don’t be distracted. There is still an expectation to relate this to the patient. It is possible to explore the content and theory in a generalised way throughout the assignment, but the beginning of the assignment (and the beginning of each paragraph, in fact) should foreground you're patient and their relationship to this theory.

Part 2: Research and writing

This video provides tips on how to research and structure paragraphs in order to keep a patient centred emphasis in the writing.

An essay, as opposed to a case study, usually has an question or a thesis which defines the boundaries of what you research, You aim to keep it within those parameters. and you delve as deeply as you can into the material. It loses focus if you include stuff outside of the topic. 


With a case study, however, your focus is the patient so you need to cast your net widely and generously at first to find something that is relevant to them. And then when you find something relevant, you need to research deeply. So, doing a good case study report involves a lot more reading than you might think. You’ll have to research both generally and deeply.

There can be a lot of research, and fairly unguided research involved in a case study. Don’t assume it’s like a reading comprehension exercise, the problems are not always clearly defined and the solutions have not necessarily been covered in lectures. Think of your case study as a mystery puzzle with a few clues scattered through it. 


In reality, patients do not arrive with instructions, so it’s up to the professional to notice that it is obvious and to think outside of the box. It is up to you to anticipate problems for the patient, it is up to you to follow through with the threads of any clues, and to see if they offer any valuable information, and these may only be hinted at indirectly. With years of nursing experience, the clues and danger signs get easier to spot, but it is very challenging for a beginner if you don’t know what to look for, and that is why the broad reading is important. 


So, every piece of information about your patient is valuable. When the information is given in the assignment, the facts are not random facts, they have usually been included for a reason, so use them and use them as much as you can. You may, on the other hand, have been told very little in the assignment and be expected to elicit the information yourself from the patient, through a blog, or a question-and-answer session. Asking for more details about their own condition just gives you more details about their condition, and unless you have some reasoning in mind for asking about that, more details per se is usually not that very helpful. 


Instead, ask about things that may affect the treatment or recovery; ask about things that may complicate matters. Smoking, relevant illnesses, lack of family support, strenuous lifestyles or jobs are all factors that may generate important decisions about how the patient is treated or cared for. The secret to keeping it about the patient is to keep them foremost into the discussion. You do this by making them the subject of each paragraph, and you do this by making them feature in the topic sentence: at the beginning and, if possible, a summary sentence at the end. 


In the middle of a paragraph, you have more flexibility to talk about the procedure or the condition in a more general way. But, at the end of the day, you need to remind us of how this is important for your patient. If you don’t, your writing becomes an essay rather than a case study. And if you feel like you’re being asked to research and to discuss material that is not directly relevant to your patient, you can make it relevant by at least explaining why it is not relevant. Remember, everything you write about should be in relation to your patient. 


So remember, it is all about the patient, keep everything relevant to the patient; keep the patient in mind throughout the research and the writing. Explore and discuss what the question requires, but theory for the sake of theory should be avoided. Your mission is to find the best solutions available for your patient, and develop the best understanding that you can of your patient. 


You have now complete the Case Study module. We hope you have enjoyed the content. For more study skill resources, please visit the RMIT Learning Lab.

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How to Write a Case Study Paper for Nursing: A Fundamental 2025 Guide

Carla logan msn, aprn-cnp, rn.

• August 3, 2024
• Nursing Writing Guides

Introduction to Clinical Case Studies

Nursing case studies are fundamental tools for analyzing individual patient scenarios, encompassing their medical history, diagnoses, treatment plans, and health outcomes. These clinical case studies are crucial in nursing education and practice, bridging the gap between theory and real-world application.

They promote critical thinking skills and contribute to evidence-based nursing practice by documenting successful interventions and identifying areas for improvement in patient care.

This article will guide you through the essential elements of writing nursing case studies . We will explore different types of case studies, their benefits and limitations, the preparation process, the detailed structure of a case study paper, writing tips, and considerations for ethical issues and topic selection.

Purpose of Writing a Case Study Paper

The primary purpose of writing a case study paper is to present a detailed, systematic examination of a patient’s case, showcasing the nursing process and decision-making involved. This type of paper aims to:

• Demonstrate clinical competence
• Enhance critical thinking and clinical reasoning
• Contribute to evidence-based practice
• Support learning and development for nursing students and experienced nurses alike

Understanding the Different Types of Case Studies in Nursing

Exploratory case studies.

Exploratory case studies investigate relatively unknown phenomena or gain insights into emerging areas of clinical practice. These studies are often used when the problem is not well understood, such as investigating novel treatment approaches or unusual patient conditions.

Descriptive Case Studies

Descriptive case studies provide a detailed account of a patient’s condition, symptoms, and treatment. They aim to describe the characteristics and context of the case, documenting unique or rare cases and contributing to the clinical knowledge base.

Explanatory Case Studies

Explanatory case studies seek to explain the reasons behind specific phenomena or outcomes observed in a case. They aim to identify causal relationships and understand the underlying mechanisms that led to the observed results.

Intrinsic Case Studies

Intrinsic case studies focus on a specific case for its own sake, rather than for generalizing to other cases. These studies are conducted to gain a deep understanding of unique aspects of the case and its significance.

Instrumental Case Studies

Instrumental case studies are conducted to gain insights into broader issues or address specific r esearch questions . The case itself is used as a means to understand larger phenomena in nursing practice.

Collective Case Studies

Collective case studies involve the examination of multiple cases to explore common issues or phenomena. By analyzing several cases, researchers can identify patterns, similarities, and differences that provide a broader understanding of nursing topics.

Benefits and Limitations of Case Studies

 benefits.

• In-Depth Analysis: Case studies offer detailed examinations of patient scenarios, providing rich, qualitative data that can reveal important insights into clinical practice and patient care.
• Practical Application: Case studies bridge the gap between theory and practice by demonstrating how theoretical concepts are applied in real-world scenarios, helping nurses tailor their care to individual patient needs .
• Development of Critical Thinking Skills: Writing and analyzing case studies encourage critical thinking and problem-solving skills, enhancing nurses’ ability to evaluate clinical situations and improve patient care.

Limitations

• Subjectivity: Case studies can be influenced by the researcher’s perspective, potentially leading to biases in data interpretation.
• Limited Generalizability: Findings from a single case study may not be applicable to other patients or settings, limiting the ability to generalize results to broader populations.
• Time-Consuming: Conducting and writing a case study can be time-intensive, requiring extensive data collection, analysis, and documentation.

Preparing to Write a Case Study Paper

Selecting a case.

Choose a case that offers rich, relevant insights into the topic of interest. Consider cases that present unique challenges, illustrate effective interventions, or contribute to understanding specific clinical issues.

Conducting a Comprehensive Literature Review

Perform a thorough literature review to contextualize the case within existing research and practice. This review should include recent studies, theoretical frameworks, and evidence-based practices related to the case.

Developing Research Questions and Objectives

Formulate clear research questions and objectives that guide the analysis of the case. These should address specific aspects of the case you intend to explore, such as the effectiveness of interventions or factors influencing patient outcomes.

Collecting Data

• Patient Interviews: Conduct interviews with the patient to gather subjective data about their experience, symptoms, and perceptions of care.
• Medical Records : Review the patient’s medical records to obtain objective data about their diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes.
• Observations: Observe the patient in clinical settings to gather additional data about their condition and care.

Ensuring Ethical Considerations

Obtain informed consent from the patient and ensure their confidentiality and privacy are maintained. Follow institutional guidelines and ethical standards for research involving human subjects.

Structure of a Nursing Case Study Paper

Include the title of the case study, author’s name, institutional affiliation, and contact information.

Provide a brief summary of the case study, including background, methods, key findings, and implications.

Introduction

• Background Information: Provide context for the case, including the patient’s medical history and the clinical issue being addressed.
• Significance of the Case: Explain why the case is important and how it contributes to understanding nursing practice or clinical knowledge.

Case Presentation in Nursing Practice

• Patient’s Demographic Information: Include basic demographic information about the patient, such as age, gender, and relevant background details.
• Medical History: Provide a detailed account of the patient’s past medical history, including previous diagnoses and treatments.
• Current Condition and Diagnosis: Describe the patient’s current condition, including symptoms, diagnosis, and relevant clinical findings.

Nursing Assessment

• Subjective Data: Include the patient’s own account of their symptoms, feelings, and experiences.
• Objective Data: Present observable and measurable information obtained through physical examinations, diagnostic tests, and clinical observations, including vital signs, blood pressure , and respiratory rate.
• Initial Nursing Diagnosis: Identify the patient’s primary health issues and needs based on the analysis of subjective and objective data.

Care Plan and Implementation

• Nursing Interventions: Detail the nursing interventions planned or implemented for the patient, including medication administration, pain management, and patient education.
• Rationale for Interventions: Provide a rationale for each intervention, explaining why it was chosen and how it addresses the patient’s needs.
• Implementation Process: Describe the process of implementing the nursing interventions, including any steps taken, resources used, and challenges encountered.
• Patient’s Response to Interventions: Assess the patient’s response to the nursing interventions, including changes in their condition or symptoms.
• Outcomes Achieved: Evaluate the outcomes of the interventions in terms of the goals set in the care plan.
• Follow-up Plan: Outline any follow-up plans or recommendations for ongoing care, including potential complications to monitor.
• Analysis of the Case: Analyze the case in detail, discussing the effectiveness of the interventions and the overall management of the patient’s condition.
• Comparison with Literature: Compare the case with existing literature and research on similar cases or conditions.
• Implications for Nursing Practice Discuss the implications of the case for nursing practice , including lessons learned and recommendations for improving care.
• Summary of Key Findings: Summarize the main issues addressed, the effectiveness of the interventions, and the outcomes achieved.
• Recommendations: Offer recommendations based on the case study findings, including suggestions for future practice, research, or policy changes .

Include a list of all references cited in the case study paper, following the appropriate academic citation style.

Writing Tips and Best Practices

• Maintaining Objectivity and Professional Tone: Ensure that the case study is written in a professional, objective tone, focusing on presenting factual, evidence-based information.
• Using Evidence-Based Practice: Incorporate evidence-based practice by grounding your interventions and recommendations in current research and clinical guidelines.
• Ensuring Clarity and Conciseness: Write clearly and concisely, avoiding unnecessary jargon or complex language.
• Avoiding Common Mistakes: Be aware of common mistakes, such as providing insufficient detail or failing to support claims with evidence.
• Revising and Proofreading: Thoroughly revise and proofread your case study before submission, checking for grammatical errors, inconsistencies, and formatting issues.

Case Studies in Nursing Ethics

Example of  an ethical case study: nursing care for a patient with diabetes mellitus.

• Title: Comprehensive Nursing Care for a Patient with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
• Author: Daisy Brown, RN, BSN
• Institution: Michigan University School of Nursing
• Date: August 3, 2024

This case study explores the comprehensive nursing care provided to a 55-year-old male patient diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. The study details the patient’s medical history, current condition, nursing assessments, interventions, and outcomes. It highlights the importance of personalized care plans and the integration of patient education in managing chronic illnesses.

• Background Information: Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic condition characterized by high blood glucose levels. Proper management is crucial to prevent complications.
• Significance of the Case: This case demonstrates the challenges and strategies in managing a chronic condition through nursing care.

Case Presentation

• Patient’s Demographic Information: John Smith, a 55-year-old male, Caucasian, works as an accountant.
• Medical History: Diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus 10 years ago, hypertension , and hyperlipidemia.
• Current Condition and Diagnosis: Admitted with an elevated blood glucose level of 300 mg/dL, experiencing fatigue, frequent urination, and blurred vision.
• Subjective Data: Patient reports feeling extremely tired, increased thirst, and frequent urination over the past two weeks.
• Objective Data: Blood glucose level at admission: 300 mg/dL, HbA1c: 9.5%, BP: 150/90 mmHg, weight: 220 lbs.
• Initial Nursing Diagnosis : Unstable blood glucose level related to insufficient insulin utilization.
• Monitor blood glucose levels four times daily.
• Administer insulin as prescribed.
• Educate the patient on a diabetic diet.
• Encourage physical activity.
• Provide information on self-monitoring of blood glucose.
• Frequent monitoring helps in adjusting insulin dosage.
• Insulin administration is crucial for controlling blood sugar levels.
• Diet education is essential for managing diabetes.
• Physical activity improves insulin sensitivity.
• Self-monitoring empowers the patient in managing their condition.
• Implementation Process: Interventions were initiated upon admission and continued throughout the hospital stay. Education sessions were conducted daily.
• Patient’s Response to Interventions: Blood glucose levels stabilized between 100-180 mg/dL. The patient demonstrated an understanding of dietary modifications and the importance of regular exercise .
• Outcomes Achieved: Improved blood glucose control, increased knowledge about diabetes management, and motivation to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
• Follow-up Plan: Scheduled follow-up appointments with a diabetes educator and a dietitian.
• Analysis of the Case: The case highlights the complexity of managing diabetes and the need for a multidisciplinary approach.
• Comparison with Literature: Studies show that patient education significantly improves diabetes outcomes, consistent with the patient’s progress.
• Implications for Nursing Practice: Emphasizes the role of nurses in patient education and chronic disease management.
• Summary of Key Findings: Effective nursing interventions and patient education can lead to significant improvements in managing diabetes.
• Recommendations: Continuous education and follow-up are crucial for long-term management of diabetes.
• Final Thoughts: Nurses play a pivotal role in supporting patients with chronic illnesses, ensuring they have the knowledge and resources to manage their conditions effectively.
• American Diabetes Association. (2023). Standards of medical care in diabetes—2023.
• Smith, J., & Brown, L. (2022). The role of nursing in managing chronic illnesses. Journal of Nursing Practice, 15(3), 45-52.
• Doe, A., & Miller, B. (2021). Patient education and outcomes in diabetes care. Nursing Times, 117(4), 29-33.

Case Study Topics for Nursing Students

Examples of Common Case Study Topics Common case study topics for nursing students include:

• Management of chronic diseases such as diabetes or hypertension
• Care of patients with acute conditions like myocardial infarction or stroke
• Pediatric care, including developmental milestones and common illnesses
• Mental health issues, such as depression or anxiety disorders
• End-of-life care and palliative interventions
• Impact of telemedicine on patient care
• Integration of new technologies in nursing practice
• Advances in personalized medicine and genomics
• Management of emerging infectious diseases like COVID-19
• The role of nursing in addressing social determinants of health

When choosing a topic, consider its relevance to current clinical practice, its potential for contributing to nursing knowledge, and its alignment with your interests and academic goals.

Writing a nursing case study paper involves selecting a relevant case, conducting thorough research, and following a structured approach to present detailed analysis and findings. Effective case studies are valuable contributions to nursing practice and education, providing insights, promoting evidence-based practice, and enhancing critical thinking skills.

For those seeking further assistance with writing case studies or other academic papers in nursing, consider seeking support from our academic writing services . Our team of writers are ready to help you produce high-quality work and achieve your academic goals.

• What is the primary purpose of a nursing case study? The primary purpose is to present a detailed examination of a patient’s case, demonstrating clinical competence and enhancing critical thinking skills.
• How do nursing case studies benefit patient care? Nursing case studies promote evidence-based practice by documenting successful interventions and identifying areas for improvement in patient care.
• What are some common ethical considerations in nursing case studies? Common ethical considerations include obtaining informed consent, maintaining patient confidentiality, and addressing resource allocation issues.
• How can nursing students choose relevant case study topics? Students should consider topics that are relevant to current clinical practice, contribute to nursing knowledge, and align with their interests and academic goals.

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Effective case presentations--an important clinical skill for nurse practitioners

Affiliation.

• 1 Nurse Practitioner Program, Community Health Division, Emory School of Nursing, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
• PMID: 16681708
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-7599.2006.00125.x

Effective case presentations are an important component of the nurse practitioner's skills, yet very little literature exists to guide the development of this skill, and frequently little priority is given to teaching this skill during the education of the nurse practitioner. This report discusses the importance of effective case presentations, describes the organization of the presentation, and outlines the appropriate information to be included. The main components of a case presentation-introduction, history of the present illness, physical examination, diagnostic studies, differential diagnosis, management, and summary of the case-are discussed in detail. Examples of a formal and an informal case presentation are presented and used to illustrate key points in the text.

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• Effective case presentations--an important clinical skill for nurse practitioners. Coralli CH. Coralli CH. J Am Acad Nurse Pract. 1989 Apr-Jun;1(2):44-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1745-7599.1989.tb00738.x. J Am Acad Nurse Pract. 1989. PMID: 2631925
• The case presentation as argument. Brown LH. Brown LH. J Am Acad Nurse Pract. 2006 Sep;18(9):395-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1745-7599.2006.00155.x. J Am Acad Nurse Pract. 2006. PMID: 16958769 No abstract available.
• Advanced health assessment in nurse practitioner programs: follow-up study. Kelley FJ, Kopac CA, Rosselli J. Kelley FJ, et al. J Prof Nurs. 2007 May-Jun;23(3):137-43. doi: 10.1016/j.profnurs.2006.12.005. J Prof Nurs. 2007. PMID: 17540316
• Physical assessment: implications for nurse educators and nursing practice. Lesa R, Dixon A. Lesa R, et al. Int Nurs Rev. 2007 Jun;54(2):166-72. doi: 10.1111/j.1466-7657.2007.00536.x. Int Nurs Rev. 2007. PMID: 17492990 Review.
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• Clinical Radiology Case Presentation: Do's and Don'ts. Punnen GE, Keshava SN, Gibikote S. Punnen GE, et al. Indian J Radiol Imaging. 2021 Jan;31(1):24-29. doi: 10.1055/s-0041-1729489. Epub 2021 May 25. Indian J Radiol Imaging. 2021. PMID: 34316108 Free PMC article. Review.
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How to Write a Thorough Nursing Case Study

Table of Contents

Case studies are common requirements for nursing schools and healthcare institutions. But learning how to write a nursing case study can be challenging. If you’re stuck on how to get started, we’ve got your back! In this article, we’ll be guiding you through all the necessary elements you should include ensuring your study is clear and thorough. We’ll also share some key tips to make your work more professional. When done right, a case study can enhance your knowledge base and help identify better healthcare practices. And this can greatly improve overall healthcare standards.

What is a Nursing Case Study?

A nursing case study is a detailed assessment of a patient’s medical history, diagnosis, and treatment .   It seeks to identify the causes of an illness or injury and analyze how they have been addressed. This helps assess the overall quality of care given. These case studies aim to understand the cause of certain illnesses, how to prevent them, and how to best treat them. The data gathered from these studies can inform policy changes and develop effective strategies for improving patient outcomes.

How to Write a Nursing Case Study

Writing a nursing case study requires thoughtful consideration of relevant information and resources. You must select a single subject, conduct research on it, interview experts, analyze the data collected, and present your findings. That may seem like a lot, but let us break it down for you. Here’s a look at the key elements that your case study structure should cover:

A title page should be concise yet informative, helping readers understand what the focus of the study is. It includes the following elements:

• Title of the case study
• Author’s name
• Any collaborators or contributors to the work
• An abstract summarizing the contents

An abstract is a summary of the content of the case study, which outlines its purpose, methods used, results, and conclusions. It aims to provide readers with a clear overview of the studied topic without reading through the entire document.

Introduction

The introduction sets the stage for the case study by introducing the main subject and providing background information. It should include the research question(s) or hypothesis that will guide the investigation.

Case Presentation

Your case presentation needs to include as much relevant detail as possible while maintaining clarity and brevity. It details the following:

• Patient’s history
• Physical exam findings
• Laboratory values
• Imaging studies
• Treatments received
• Clinical course

Pathophysiology

Pathophysiology discusses how diseases affect normal body processes and functions. Try to explain the pathology behind the observed symptoms to understand how they can be managed. This may involve discussing anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, genetics, pharmacology, immunology, and pathogenesis.

Nursing Care Plan

A nursing care plan should provide an overview of the patient’s current condition, including any pre-existing medical conditions. It should also outline the desired goals for the patient’s health, such as stabilizing vital signs or reducing pain levels. The plan will usually include a list of interventions to be carried out by nurses. It can also outline monitoring steps to evaluate whether these interventions are effective in achieving the desired outcomes.

Discussion and Recommendations

This section provides an opportunity to discuss any issues or suggestions related to the patient’s case study. Experienced professionals can provide valuable input regarding the best strategies to improve the treatment outcome.

The conclusion is where you can summarize all the findings from the study and provide your final thoughts regarding the results. It should draw attention to any successes achieved during the investigation and identify areas for improvement. Your conclusion should also make clear how the results relate to the overall objective of providing quality care for the patient.

The references section is where sources used throughout the case study are listed. These may include textbooks, reports, journal entries, and other forms of documentation that were consulted for the project. All entries must adhere to proper citation standards (e.g., APA style) and appear alphabetically according to the author’s name.

Final Words

Learning how to write a nursing case study has far more applications than just fulfilling a course requirement. These case studies can be invaluable tools in advocating for improved healthcare for individuals and communities. Hopefully, this quick guide has helped you better understand how to write a more comprehensive and clearer work. Good luck!

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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How to Study with CASE STUDIES in Nursing School

Instructors LOVE to use case studies in nursing school, but they can be SUPER tricky to figure out!

They’ll also show up a lot on your nursing exams, where they’ll give you a case scenario question and you’ll have to choose the best answer based on the info they give you.

So I’m going to give you the BEST strategies to help you rock your case studies in nursing school.

HERE’S A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT WE’LL TALK ABOUT:

9 critical thinking questions (0:58)

The nursing process (3:30)

Prioritizing patient needs – ABCs (6:07)

Prioritizing patient needs – Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (7:26)

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VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

In this video, we’re diving into how to study using CASE STUDIES . Instructors LOVE to use case studies in nursing school. They’ll also show up a lot on your nursing exams, where they’ll give you a case scenario question and you’ll have to choose the best answer based on the info they give you. But they can be SUPER tricky to figure out sometimes! So I’m going to give you the BEST strategies to help you rock your case studies in nursing school. So hit that subscribe button and click the notification bell and let’s dive in.

So the first thing you need to know about case studies in nursing school is that they’re meant to test your critical thinking.

But don’t freak out, critical thinking is a LOT easier than you’re thinking right now. There’s only 2 parts to it:

• Planning ahead
• Connecting the dots

That’s it.

If you want a deep dive into those 2 things, be sure to check out this video here .

Now, I have a list of critical thinking questions that will really help as you’re working on answering your case study questions in nursing school. They will help get you in the mindset of figuring out what’s going on with the patient, and what you need to do about it.

I’ll go through them with you here, but don’t worry, I’ve listed them all out on a free cheat sheet for you that you can print off and use as your work on your homework and case studies in nursing school. The link is in the description below for you to download it.

So these 9 key questions are:

• What do I need to assess and look for with this disorder? (Which includes lab values and signs and symptoms)
• How does this disorder impact a patient without comorbidities? (meaning, this is the ONLY health concern, disorder or disease they have)
• How does this disorder impact a patient WITH comorbidities? (which means, they have ANOTHER health concern, disease or disorder at the same time)
• What interventions are most likely to be ordered by the doctor? What would you expect to see ordered for this patient, including medications and lab draws?
• What interventions are within my scope of practice as a nurse to do without an order? So what can you do as the nurse to help this patient get better, things like position changes and patient education, things like that?
• How do these interventions impact a patient without comorbidities? So how would that medication or position change or other intervention impact the patient and their condition?
• How do these interventions impact a patient with co-morbidities? So ask yourself how that medication or position change or other intervention impact the other illnesses the patient has.
• What patient and family education needs to occur? 
• And what other disorders or problems are commonly associated with this disorder?

These critical thinking questions will help guide your critical thinking as you go through your case studies. So be thinking about each of these questions as you answer your case study questions in nursing school.

So now that you’ve elevated your critical thinking skills by using those 9 key critical thinking questions, the next step is to answer your case study questions correctly. Of course, we want to get them all correct, right?

And there are 2 things you should focus your attention on:

• Walking through the nursing process
• Prioritizing patient needs

Let’s start with the nursing process and how to apply it to a case study question.

Often times, your case studies will ask you a series of questions, like:

• What would you do to help the patient improve?
• What would you look for and assess with a particular patient?

These are all questions that relate to the nursing process:

• Implementation

They’ll ask you what you should look for (meaning the nursing assessment), what you should do about it (meaning what interventions and implementation should be done), or what nursing diagnosis or goals you would make for the patient.

The nursing process is EVERYTHING in nursing school; you’re walking through it all the time. And answering case study questions is no different. Even though the questions may use different language, like “what would you look for” or ” “what’s the best course of action,” you should always be thinking about how it fits into the nursing process, and that will make it a whole lot simpler for you!

Now another HUGE thing you should focus on is prioritizing patient needs, and there are 2 ways to do this that we’ll talk about here.

But before we get to that, I want to give a shout out to Nurse Z for our YouTube comment of the week, which says

“This video came right on time. I start my 3rd semester today! Woohoo! Thanks hun, super helpful.”

YAY ! Congrats on starting your 3rd semester that’s so exciting!! I hope it goes super well for you!

Thank you so much for all your sweet comments and your constant support. I feel so blessed that you’re here right now and I get super pumped each week to help you through nursing school! So keep your comments coming, friend!

Alright, so the 2 big strategies you should use to prioritize patient care and answer your case scenario questions correctly are:

• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

I’m going to walk you through how to use these 2 strategies to answer case scenario questions right. But if you’re a NursingSOS Member, be sure to log-into your dashboard and check out the Fundamentals Course, where we have a whole video training for you on patient prioritization. I also walk you through some practice case scenario questions in there as well, which will help it all click and come together for you. So be sure to check that out.

So ABC stands for airway, breathing and circulation.

These are your top 3 priorities when doing patient care, and when you’re answering case scenario questions. You need to make sure your patient has a clear airway, you need to make sure they are breathing adequately, and you need to make sure their blood is flowing and circulating.

If one of these isn’t happening, it’s game over, right? So that’s why the ABCs should be your top priority.

So often times when you’re faced with a case scenario question, it might ask you what your “priority” nursing action would be, or what your “initial” or “immediate” action would be.

When you see this on your exam, the first thing you should think about is the ABCs. Look at each answer to the question and ask yourself if any of them relate to the ABCs: anything that that keeps the patient’s airway clear, keeps them breathing, or keeps their blood circulating.

So if you identify an answer like that, go back, re-read the question to make sure that answer makes sense. And if it does, PERFECT ! That’s the answer I would choose.

The same thing goes for Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

Here is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in order of priority:

• Physiological needs
• Safety and security needs
• Love and belonging
• Self-esteem
• Self-actualization

It makes it really easy to follow, because they are already listed in order of priority. This hierarchy means that you will need to solve a patient’s physiological needs FIRST before you focus on their other needs, like love and belonging and self-esteem needs.

Physiological needs include things like making sure they can breathe and that their blood is circulating properly.

Safety and security needs include things like making sure their IV tubing is out of the way and they can’t trip on it, and making sure their bed is in the lowest position and they have their call light. This also refers to things like being financially secure and having secure relationships. Those are all safety and security things.

Love and belonging needs refer to the patient’s connectedness with others, and if they feel like they have people who care about them.

The self-esteem tier is the need to have confidence in themselves and their abilities and that they believe in themselves and have a sense of accomplishment.

And self-actualization means that they are achieving their full potential and striving to always become better.

Looking at this hierarchy, it makes sense how they are prioritized, because if a patient can’t breathe (which is a physiological problem), we want to fix that problem first before we help them feel loved and connected with people.

So as you’re answering your case scenario questions, figure out how Maslow’s Hierarchy fits into it. Where is the patient in this hierarchy, and how can you help them move up the hierarchy.

These are all the critical thinking aspects that your nursing instructors are testing you on when they give you a case scenario question. They’re looking at how you take all the information they give you, and draw conclusions and make decisions with it.

Now, the biggest KEY to remember when answering case scenario questions is patient safety. Patient safety is ALWAYS your number 1 priority. So if there is something you can do to keep the patient safer, that’s most likely the answer your instructors are looking for.

In a few weeks, I’m going to be releasing a video all about why med-surg is so hard! I know case scenario questions play into that, but there’s a lot of other factors too. We’ll talk about why it’s hard, and I’ll also give you my BEST TIPS to overcome it and rock med-surg, even though it’s super tough.

So don’t forget to hit the notification bell to get notified when that video is available. It’s one you DO NOT want to miss!

Now make sure to like, comment, and share this video with a friend.

And click on one of these videos here so you can keep rocking nursing school, and go become the nurse that God created only YOU to be. And I’ll catch you in the next video.

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• You are here: Assessment skills

Practical procedure

History taking for advanced clinical practitioners: what should you ask?

04 March, 2024 By Sarah Butler

Good history taking is a vital part of patient assessment in advanced practice, requiring a systematic and patient-centred approach. This article explains how

Good history taking is a vital component of patient assessment and high-quality care. This second article in our assessment and interpretation series for advanced nurse or midwife practitioners shows how a systematic approach to taking a history, combined with asking patients about their ideas, concerns and expectations, gives a thorough understanding of patients’ complaints and priorities.

Citation: Butler S (2023) History taking for advanced clinical practitioners: what should you ask? Nursing Times [online]; 120: 3.

Author: Sarah Butler is lecturer, University of Hull.

• This article has been double-blind peer reviewed
• Scroll down to read the article or download a print-friendly PDF here (if the PDF fails to fully download please try again using a different browser)
• Click here to see other articles in this series

Introduction

It has been suggested that between 70% and 90% of patient diagnoses are made on history taking alone (Keifenheim 2015). It is, therefore, essential as an advanced clinical practitioner that you can take a good history to facilitate diagnosis and management of health conditions.

What is history taking?

History taking is a logical and systematic approach to collecting personal and medical information from the patient to help assess, diagnose and manage health and wellbeing (Mosby, 2022). Using a logical and systematic approach clarifies the signs and symptoms, and allows for differential diagnoses. A good history is thorough, but also considers patients, thoughts and concerns .

Communication skills

Communicating effectively with your patient is essential to good history taking. The logical order of history taking can make patients feel that it is just a tick-box exercise. However, this can be avoided by ensuring that the consultation is patient-centered by using both verbal and non-verbal communication to help reassure the patient.

Table 1 summarises essential communication skills that should be used for all consultations.

Documentation

A patient’s record is another form of communication that documents the patient’s healthcare journey during their lifetime (Brooks, 2021). This allows any health professional encountering the patient to understand and interpret previous healthcare information, tests and treatments. You must, therefore, be sure to complete it in an accurate and timely manner and only include factual and reliable information.

There is a consensus in the nursing profession that history taking should be logical and completed in a certain order. This article follows a history-taking sequence adapted from Peart (2022) (Box 1). However, while this is a logical and systematic approach in meeting the health professional’s agenda, it is not essential to adhere to it religiously or even discuss each aspect in turn. It is just as important to ensure that the consultation remains patient-centered and that you give patients enough time to answer your questions.

Box 1. History-taking sequence

Presenting complaint

History of presenting complaint, medical history, family history, social history.

• Review of systems

Source: Peart (2022)

Your first interaction with the patient can set the tone for the entire consultation, so it is important to make a good impression. Take the time to introduce yourself. The role of advanced nurse practitioner is one of several new and emerging roles (British Medical Association, 2022) that patients may not be familiar with, so it is beneficial to briefly explain your role (Peart, 2022).

History taking is conducted in various healthcare settings. Some, such as general practice, have control over their environment, for example, by providing private consultation rooms. For others, such as emergency departments, the environment may be less than ideal; for example, taking a patient’s history on a hospital trolley.

However, what the environment might lack in terms of hospitality can be made up for by the practitioner adopting a warm and welcoming manner. If using a consultation room or patient bedside, arrange the chairs to allow good eye contact with the patient while still maintaining a comfortable distance, while ensuring easy access to the patient’s healthcare records.

For patients, the presenting complaint is usually a priority as it is what has led them to seek help in the first place, either by booking a consultation or presenting at an emergency centre. However, while patients are normally quick to tell you what the complaint is about, they can still be vague. It is, therefore, important to use appropriate questioning techniques to ensure that nothing is missing when taking a patient’s history.

In your first contact with your patient, make your questions open-ended to allow patients to describe their symptoms and concerns in their own words (Abe et al, 2022). A useful analogy is to think of it as an essay answer as opposed to a multiple-choice response. For examples of open-ended questions, see Box 2.

Box 2. Examples of open-ended questions

• Can you tell me what has brought you here today?
• How can I help you today?
• What health concerns do you have?

An open-ended question can create a period of silence while the patient considers their response. Do not be afraid of silence. Many health professionals feel the need to fill the silence to prevent feelings of awkwardness. Exercise patience and refrain from doing this, as “intentional silence can be used to enhance the therapeutic relationship between nurse and patient” (Kemerer, 2016). For example, a moment of silence can give patients time to reflect or to summon the courage to respond. It is also an opportunity to notice how the patient presents themselves nonverbally, such as how they use their hands or facial expressions.

Consider cultural differences; in some cultures, the accepted norm is for people to take their time and think about their answers, responding when they are ready. While it is necessary to adhere to reasonable time limits, it is important not to press too hard and to be comfortable with silence (Ball et al, 2019).

Once the patient has outlined their complaint, the next step is to explore its history. This requires information on each symptom (Box 3). Such information can be obtained by asking specific questions or following the SOCRATES framework (Curr and Fordham-Clarke, 2022) (Table 2). Although this mnemonic was originally used to assess pain (Gregory, 2019), it can be applied to other symptoms.

Box 3. Specific information required for symptoms

• Location of the presenting complaint and when or how it started
• Severity of the symptoms and how this affects quality of life
• What improves/aggravates symptoms
• Whether the person has experienced something like this before, what it was and how it was dealt with
• Whether the person has done anything on their own to try to improve symptoms

Ideas, concerns and expectations

The patient’s ideas, concerns and expectations (ICE) can provide additional information during a consultation (Freilich et al, 2019). Exploring ICE gives a greater understanding of what the patient thinks is important and what treatment they think they need. History taking that includes the patient’s perspective is likely to be more revealing and, therefore, valuable when making a diagnosis. However, this approach may have its drawbacks, as for some patients the nature of the questions can lead to feelings of discomfort, prevent the construction of a therapeutic relationship and stop the flow of history (Snow, 2016).

Ideas are the first stage of ICE, where the practitioner asks the patient to say what they think the problem is or what is causing the symptoms (Freilich et al, 2019). These questions allow the health professional to see what is on the patient’s mind and can provide a starting point for diagnosis.

The next logical step is to ask patients about their concerns. Patients can be complex with multiple health problems, so do not assume that their concern is straight forward or matches their ideas. For example, a patient who thinks they might have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may be more worried about bowel cancer. It is the practitioner’s role to set the patient at ease, so they feel able to speak openly. This is where good communication skills come in, as clear communication and showing empathy can reduce a patient’s anxiety about the consultation and presenting complaint (Allen, 2021).

The third and final step is to ask patients about their expectations to highlight what they want from the consultation (Freilich et al, 2019). For example, are they expecting blood tests, scans or medication?

Although using the ICE framework may sometimes feel like you are going off on a tangent, understanding what the patient expects can help with diagnosis and management, as well as make planning easier.

Once ICE is complete, resume the sequence with a general medical history. This can sometimes be difficult to obtain, as patients often forget or do not consider it relevant to their current complaint (Fisher, 2016). In this case, closed questions can be helpful (Box 4). Where patients cannot answer some of your questions, you can check their medical history by accessing their healthcare records (Abdelrahman and Abdelmageed, 2014).

Box 4. Taking a medical history: example of closed questions

• Have you ever been admitted to hospital?
• Have you got anything inside your body you were not born with?
• Do you have diabetes?
• Do you have high/low blood pressure?

Medications

Another part of taking an effective history is to establish what medications patients are already taking. This requires a comprehensive list of prescribed medicines and doses to be identified and discussed. Remember, just because the patient has been prescribed a drug does not mean they are taking it. Likewise, do not assume a patient who collects a prescription every month is complying with the prescribed dosage. Ask the patient directly about this, as it reduces the risk of false information clouding your diagnosis.

As well as prescription drugs, ask the patient what over-the-counter medications they might be taking and at what dose (Knott, 2021). Do not forget to enquire about vitamins or herbal supplements, as these may also have potential side-effects or contraindications with prescribed medications (Tatum, 2021). It may also be appropriate to ask about illicit drugs, but make sure you do this in a non-judgmental way.

The next step is to ask about allergies. Do not limit this to drug allergies, as all potential allergens need documenting. It is important the patient understands the difference between allergies and intolerance, as normal side-effects to a medicine can sometimes be mistaken for an allergy when it is an intolerance.

“Many health professionals feel the need to fill the silence to prevent feelings of awkwardness. Exercise patience and refrain from doing this, as ‘intentional silence can be used to enhance the therapeutic relationship between nurse and patient’”

Family history is not always needed, but it is good practice to ask about it in case it could be relevant to the presenting complaint. Some patients may have no idea of their family history; for example, if they are adopted or estranged from their biological parents.

Social history includes lifestyle or environmental factors that may increase a patient’s risk of disease or affect an existing diagnosis. Box 5 shows factors to consider when asking about social history. Which are relevant depends on the patient and the presenting complaint, so use your clinical judgement. An obvious example is the question of whether it is appropriate to ask a child about alcohol and smoking – this will largely depend on their age. Certain questions may be distressing for some patients, so be sure to convey to patients why you are asking them and how it will help your assessment and diagnosis.

Box 5. Lifestyle factors

• Alcohol consumption
• Support – family/friends
• Recent travel history

Review systems

After reviewing the patient’s history, the final part of the sequence before the summary is to review bodily systems not covered in the first presenting complaint. Table 3 shows a list of symptoms from the main bodily systems that might be appropriate to use. It should be noted that this is not an exhaustive list, nor is it necessarily appropriate to go through them all. It depends on the presenting complaint and the patient.

Once you have completed the history, it is helpful to repeat back to the patient the timeline of events and information obtained. This enables you to check whether the information is accurate and has been interpreted correctly, as well as highlighting any further or missing details. You may also find it helpful to review the ICE framework, if used.

The summary can lead to the patient’s questions. If you are not sure of the answers, tell them you don’t know and will get back to them with more information. Do not give patients false hope, do not answer questions unless you can answer those questions with absolute certainty.

History taking is a logical and systematic approach to the collection of personal and healthcare information, but the approach still needs to be patient-centered and where possible include patient ideas, concerns and expectations. Use of ICE and the SOCRATES framework provides health professionals with a simple structure to follow, both for asking questions and documenting medical history consultations.

The next article in this series will explore how to assess older people for frailty

Also in this series

• How to conduct a clinical consultation in advanced practice
• Assessing frailty in older people as part of holistic care
• How to carry out a respiratory assessment in advanced practice
• How to interpret chest radiographs (X-rays): a systematic approach
• How to conduct a cardiovascular assessment in advanced practice
• How to assess and examine a patient with abdominal symptoms
• Performing a cranial nerve examination and interpreting the findings

Advanced practitioners

This series is aimed at nurses and midwives working at or towards advanced practice. Advanced practitioners are educated at masters level and are assessed as competent to make autonomous decisions in assessing, diagnosing and treating patients. Advanced assessment and interpretation is based on a medical model and the role of advanced practitioners is to integrate this into a holistic package of care.

• Professional responsibilities - Only undertake this procedure after appropriate training, supervised practice and competency assessment, and by following local policies and protocols

Don't miss more great clinical content from Nursing Times NT Bitesize learning videos – helping you to organise learning to fit in with your schedule Clinical zones – keep up to date with articles in your clinical subject or nursing role/setting CPD zone – user-friendly online learning units on fundamental aspects of nursing Journal Club – clinical articles with discussion handouts for participatory CPD Practical Procedures – 'how to' guides and teaching materials for clinical procedures Self-assessment – clinical articles with linked online assessments for bitesize CPD Systems of Life – applied anatomy and physiology to support your practice

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Join us again from 6am for live updates from Westminster, Brighton - and also Italy, where the PM is travelling for talks with his counterpart.

By Alix Culbertson , political reporter

The early prisoner release scheme is not Labour's fault, the foreign secretary has said, as the Tories accused the government of making "rookie errors".

Following the early release of 1,750 prisoners this week to alleviate overcrowded prisons, a  prisoner was accused of assaulting a woman  on the same day he was freed. He has been charged and recalled to prison.

The government had said terrorists and convicted sex offenders were not among those being released.

Asked if the decision to release prisoners early was the right choice, David Lammy, the foreign secretary, said Labour was forced into it.

He told Sky News' Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: "What we have inherited is an absolute disgrace.

"It's a disgrace that, frankly, our prisons are in such a state, prisoners, so absolutely full to the brim.

"Of course, we've had to have an early release scheme ensuring that you're not releasing the worst offenders, that there's proper consideration.

"There's good work, with the probation service.

"That is what you'd expect responsible government to do."

However, shadow home secretary James Cleverly said his Conservative government would not have done the same to alleviate overcrowded prisons.

Read more here:

England risks being banned from the Euros if Sir Keir Starmer goes ahead with plans for a men's football watchdog, UEFA has warned.

In a letter to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, European football's governing body said there should be "no government interference in the running of football".

It follows plans by the government to set up an Independent Football Regulator (IFR) for the professional men's game

In the letter, seen by The Times and the BBC, UEFA's general secretary Theodore Theodoridis warned against plans outlined in the King's Speech that would give the new regulator the power to oversee clubs in England's top five leagues.

He said the game's independence was a "fundamental requirement".

An exclusion would prevent English clubs from being able to compete in the Champions League and other UEFA competitions, as well as the national team being able to take part in the European Championship.

Sir Keir Starmer is facing an investigation over a possible breach of parliamentary rules after failing to declare that some of his wife's high-end clothes were bought for her by his biggest personal donor, Lord Alli.

The Labour peer paid for a personal shopper, clothes and alterations for Lady Victoria Starmer, reportedly both before and after the Labour leader became prime minister in July, according to The Sunday Times.

This year, Sir Keir has received - and disclosed - nearly £19,000 worth of work clothes and several pairs of glasses from Lord Alli, the former chairman of online fashion retailer Asos, The Times reports.

In addition, the peer, whose personal wealth is estimated at £200m, spent £20,000 on accommodation for the now prime minister during the election and a similar sum on "private office" costs, which was also disclosed, the paper says.

A Number 10 spokesperson told Sky News it was an oversight that had been corrected after it "sought advice from the authorities on coming to office".

They added: "We believed we'd been compliant, however, following further interrogation this month, we've declared further items."

The Tories called for a "full investigation" following The Sunday Times report.

Sir Keir Starmer is heading to Italy tomorrow to meet with his counterpart, Giorgia Meloni.

On the agenda is tackling illegal migration, and the PM has said that he is "interested" in the migration deal Italy has struck with Albania.

Under the plan, Tirana accepts asylum seekers on Italy's behalf while claims are processed under Italian jurisdiction.

Asked whether he would consider pursuing a similar agreement, Sir Keir told journalists: "Let's see.

"It's in early days, I'm interested in how that works, I think everybody else is.

"It's very, very early days."

It comes after Sir Keir axed the Rwanda scheme, put in place by the Conservative government.

That scheme would have seen asylum claims processed under Rwanda's system, rather than the UK's.

Sir Keir said that in relation to migration, there were "different challenges in different countries".

He has previously hinted that he may be open to processing asylum claims offshore - but has not said that it is an option being actively explored.

The trip to Italy is also part of a broader reset of relations with the EU that the PM has been pushing for, having visited both Germany and France to meet with his counterparts since entering No 10.

By Alix Culbertson , political reporter, at the Lib Dem conference in Brighton

Lib Dem MP Richard Foord has been speaking at the party's conference in Brighton this afternoon. 

He told an event: "Labour is desperate not to talk about Europe."

The Honiton and Sidmouth MP said one of the reasons is because Reform came second in 89 of the seats 411 Labour won at the election. 

He told the event he had asked a Labour MP, who was a candidate to chair parliament's cross-party business and trade committee, about the single market and they "refused to talk about it". 

"Labour is terrified to talk about Europe," he added. 

"And it's going to be our job in the next parliament to make sure we do."

Lib Dem peer Sal Brinton said she also faces a struggle in the House of Lords when it comes to talking about the EU.

"In the House of Lords, there are a number of very strong Brexit Tory-appointed peers who are still espousing it, so our debates are quite extraordinary to watch," she said.

"The Lib Dems and a number of cross-benchers, including very important former ambassadors and civil servants, are all weighing in saying we've got to mend this relationship and we need to move forward.

"And [former MEP] Daniel Hannan and his friends jump up and are utterly vile and it goes back to the minister who has to dance on the head of a pin and is clearly terribly uncomfortable."

As a result, she said she believes campaigning outside parliament is the way to get anything done on Europe.

At the end of his Q&A at his party conference in Brighton, Sir Ed Davey answered some quick-fire questions.

Would he go on Strictly Come Dancing?

The answer appeared to be no.

"My advisers would want me to go on Strictly," he said. And then went rather quiet as the room broke out in laughter.

Asked how often he obeys his advisers, the Lib Dem leader said: "I'm delighted to say health and safety rules sometimes get in the way."

What was his favourite election stunt - and are there any he regrets?

No regrets for Sir Ed, who told party members that he "got a kick out of most of them".

His favourite, however, was the slip n' slide in Somerset (watch some footage of that below). He also said he enjoyed doing a bungee jump.

What does he do that makes his children cringe?

Sir Ed said that his disabled son likes to tease him.

His daughter, however, does cringe. "I think if I do dancing to 'Sweet Caroline', she's not so keen," he revealed.

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has told party members that US Democrat presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her vice presidential pick, Tim Walz, are doing "a fantastic job".

He said he is a "bit of a geek" when it comes to US politics, confessing that he has a number of apps on his phone to follow the latest polls in the swing states.

The reason being, he explained, is that "it's an important election, not just for America, but for us in the world".

"And, it's been so thrilling to see how Kamala and Tim have breathed new life into the opposition to what Trump is all about."

Sir Ed also said there is a "lesson" for the Lib Dems in how they have conducted the campaign "with hope and optimism".

"When you're faced with that divisive hate, angry tone that you see from the Republicans, at least the Trump Republicans, and you see from other parts of the far-right here and elsewhere - the way to tackle it is to show we're really in touch with real people, we have their emotions, we share their emotions, and we share that fun. And we are offering optimism."

Sir Ed was then challenged on the fact that if he were in government, he wouldn't be able to make such comments because it would harm diplomatic relations.

But he rejected that notion, saying: "I think you just have to tell the truth. And no one would believe me if I said we wanted Trump to win."

Sir Ed Davey is taking questions from members at his party conference in Brighton, and he was asked about allowing Ukraine to fire long-range missiles into Russian territory - something the UK and US have not yet granted permission for.

The Lib Dem leader said that Ukraine should be allowed to use the missiles "to attack Russian military bases in Russia".

"They're being used to wreak havoc on Ukraine."

He said he has "no inside knowledge", but he "wouldn't be surprised if they've already taken a decision to use them collectively across NATO".

Asked specifically if the UK should wait for approval from the US president, Sir Ed said: "If we have to do it unilaterally, I think we should."

Sir Keir Starmer travelled to Washington DC to meet with President Joe Biden on Friday to discuss the matter, but no decision has been taken yet.

Both leaders are under pressure to allow Ukraine to fire into Russian territory, in particular after it was revealed that Iran supplied Russia with ballistic missiles.

Jubilant Liberal Democrats are gathering in Brighton for their annual conference.

Party leader Sir Ed Davey will make his keynote speech tomorrow, but he is now taking questions from members.

You can watch it live here:

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