A Nursing Case Study is collection of vital information about a patient, written by a nurse for other nurses, physician, and any other medical staff who is involved in providing the nursing care to the patient. Case Study can be termed as an effective means of communication between nurse and other medical personnel involved in the caring of the patient.

In Health Care Centers or Nursing schools and other nursing institutes, Nursing Case Study is often used to train new nurses, as well as nursing students, for research purposes, nursing education up gradation, introduction of new equipments and so on. Few specific case studies are even published in medical journals, magazines and web as a research topic. When case study is presented to other nursing or medical staffs, on few occasions, even patient is invited to attend the presentation.

How to prepare Nursing Case Study?

Following guidelines should be followed, while writing a Case Study:

Data of the Patient

• Obtaining the data of patient is essential for getting the vital information about the patient for his own protection and confidentiality. If necessary, fictitious name can be used replacing the original name of the patient. It is also necessary to get the permission of patient or his/her family member to release the case study for any publication.

Patient’s medical Diagnosis and other relevant information

• Generally doctors or physicians are the best medial personnel to provide relevant medical and diagnosis information of the patient, including medical guidelines and treatments directives. Again, confidentiality of the patient should be respected and all medical diagnosis and treatment information must be kept confidential and only released to other medical members or closest family of the patient, that also with the due permission of the patient.

Guidelines for Nursing Care

• Every Nursing Case Study should follow precise nursing guidelines as obtained from the specific diagnosis, planned treatment and proposed nursing care. These directives are formulated by the Registered Nurse with the active assistance of physicians and doctors, along with other care givers. This subject may include medication, therapy, treatments, rehabilitation and so on.

Patient’s Needs

• Different patients have different needs and registered nurse or other care giver should effectively access the need of the patient, while providing needed nursing care. Such information should be documented as a chart and the nurse, who is involved in writing the case study, should easily access this chart.

The chart includes information on the progress of the patient, patient’s needs and preferences. It assist in following the realistic approach for general well being of the patient including action that can be taken for maintaining the health status of the patient.

The information may also include private information of the patient, such as credit aspects, family relationships, religious inclination, privacy, visiting restriction and so on.

Short and long term Projection, Expectations and realistic Goal

• It is essential to put certain information about the short and long term projections, expectations and goals of the diagnosis and treatment. This assessment is best carried out by the physician and nurses after the patient is thoroughly accessed or checked up.

Nursing Case Study are left open till the time of its presentation or publication for adding additional information, as the condition of the patient may change by that time.

Keeping these guidelines in mind, effective Nursing Case Study can be written