At the end of every clinical rotation, student nurses are often faced with the challenge of presenting a case study. This process involves picking out a patient for study, researching into the patient’s life and medical history, coming up with written data and presenting the case before a panel.

As a student nurse, you may find that you often lose sleep because of it. First timers may even have to stay up until the wee hours of the morning in order to complete one. They may also be faced with a ruthless panel of Clinical Instructors that will nitpick at the data presented before them. This article is here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be so. Below you will find several tips that will help you create a fool proof case presentation.

·         Thorough Interview – The patient interview process is perhaps one of the most crucial tasks a student nurse has to perform for a case study. A thorough interview will help give you a look into your patient’s personal and medical history. Here you will learn if your patient has had events in his/her past or medical history that affect his/her current condition. Look for telling facts such as history of illness both physical and psychological. Aside from the past, you should also look into the present. Ask how your patient is feeling about his/her current condition. The data you gather here will help you formulate effective Nursing Care Plans.

It is advised that you conduct your interview only when you have a set of questions ready. This will decrease anxiety for both the patient and yourself. A set of question already written down ensures that you take up as little of your patient’s time as possible. This will also make sure that you have all the data you need. You should also see to it that you are able to ask all the questions that you need to ask while the patient is still confined. If you don’t, you may find yourself missing out on relevant data. This may also result in you illegally fabricating data or intruding into the privacy of your client’s home just to get the data that you need.

You should also interview individuals relevant in your patient’s care. This may include your client’s significant others and family members. You may also look into asking your patient’s attending physician for any relevant information.

·         The Patient’s Chart – Going through the patient’s chart is as important as the interview process. If your patient has been hospitalized before, it may be helpful for you to look into his/her previous charts too. If you are allowed to make a photocopy (this is often not the case in most hospitals) of the patient’s chart then you should do so. If not, then you should make the most of what you are privy to and copy the chart by hand. It is best to split this responsibility among group members. Just make sure that you put the chart back together the way you found it. Also, make sure that you ask permission from your clinical instructor as well as the staff nurses before taking the chart.

Copy as much of the chart as you can! Jot down the admission notes. Admission notes may include initial vital signs and any observations made by the admitting nurse or physician. This is important data that your clinical instructors will certainly ask you about. Make note also of the following: Vital signs throughout duration of hospital stay, Doctor’s Notes and Assessments, Nurse’s Notes, Medications orders and schedule, Laboratory Test and results.

After you have copied the patient’s chart, make a thorough study of it. Make sure that you are able to find a correlation between your client’s condition and the different procedures, doctor’s orders and nurse’s notes. Making such a correlation is vital and will help you defend your case flawlessly.

·         The Pathophysiology – The pathophysiology is the backbone of any Nursing Case Presentation. You should be able to present the pathophysiology in a logical diagrammatic manner as well as in an essay form. Make sure that your pathophysiology touches on all the different symptoms experienced by your client. Some clinical instructors opt for short and concise pathophysiologies while others require extensive ones. You should then be able to tell what your clinical instructor prefers. You can do this by asking other student who have been under your present C.I.’s tutelage.

In making the pathophysiology, you have the option of using readily available diagrams you find in books. These diagrams are available in Medical Surgical books, Pathophysiology books as well as on online Journals. If you do end up using these types of pathophysiologies just make sure that you tweak it enough to make it fit your patient. Keep in mind that each patient is different and each one has a slightly different pathophysiology.

·         Other Factors Not to Be Ignored – Other important factors of a Case Presentation include: Drug Studies and Nursing Care Plans. You need to make a thorough drug study. Nursing Care Plans also need to be related to your patient’s needs and symptoms. This link will take you to some tips to help you write the best Nursing Care Plan Possible.