ASSIGNMENT GUIDANCE – NRSG258 ASSESSMENT 1: CASE STUDY
Semester Two 2017
General Guidance for Writing the Case Study
If, after reading through this guide, you still have questions please post on the relevant forum. If you are still unsure then please contact your campus specific lecturer to arrange to discuss your assignment. Please bring these guidelines to any meeting and highlight the areas about which you are still unsure.
? This case study is 1600 WORDS ? 10% & due by 4pm on 1st September 2017 to Turnitin. Turnitin is located in your campus specific block & will be open 3 weeks before so you can submit & check for plagiarism, which gives you time to over-write if plagiarism is evident. Please keep similarity below 10% by reading widely & paraphrasing the research/evidence.
? Background reading can be from current textbooks for basic information however, the case study requires you to find current literature/research/articles to support your discussion throughout the case study. Choose appropriate texts e.g. pathophysiology textbook/current research for the disease process.
? The case study should have approximately 10 relevant sources. Textbooks, if cited, should be a range of medical-surgical, pathophysiology, anatomy & physiology & pharmacology for specific information.
? Do NOT use Better Health Channel, WedMed, dictionaries, encyclopaedias etc.
These are consumer sources and are NOT suitable to support academic discussion. You may use relevant government policies, clinical guidelines, UpToDate, systematic reviews, journal articles & original research.
? You must follow the APA referencing format in your case study and in your reference list (Quick Guide in Case Study folder on LEO).
? Do not put references in your reference list that are either not in your case study or are irrelevant e.g. from veterinary journals. Try to find evidence (research policies & human) from countries with health care systems similar to Australia.
? You must follow the format for setting out your assignment for font style & size, margin width and spacing (Guide in the Case Study folder on LEO)
? Some of these textbooks are available via the Library website in ClinicalKey.
o (Steps: Go to Library website: Click Databases: Scroll to C: Scroll to ClinicalKey: Highlight Books: Highlight Letter of start of book e.g. L for Lewis’ medical surgical nursing; P for pharmacology; E for essentials of law).
? Do not copy information from books or articles or information from previous students’ assignments. This is plagiarism and you will be heavily penalised. Turnitin highlights copied information to markers.
? No cover sheet is required for this case study but please give a title to your case study & put your name & student number in a header or footer.
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? The case study is in essay format. You need an introduction a conclusion. You must write sentences and link ideas into paragraphs. Do not write points as this does not show critical thinking. Do not use abbreviations such as e.g. i.e. etc. in your essay and you must explain terms not just copy them out of a book. Do not use headings e.g. introduction. It should be clear from what you have written what part is next.
? The marker needs to know you understand the condition & care of the patient for safe practice. Unsafe practice will be penalised heavily.
Specific Guidance for the Case Study
? Please review the marking rubric before you commence your essay.
? Briefly discuss your chosen patient’s presenting condition in relation to their diagnosis (i.e. why they came to into hospital), cause of the condition, the reasons the patient may be susceptible i.e. risk factors & complications of the condition. You are not required to discuss the surgical procedure but you need to show you understand it in the care of the patient.
? Prioritise your patient’s needs. Think about Airway Breathing Circulation Disability. Which of your patient’s needs come first e.g. pain is in D (disability). What comes before that you need to address?
? Link the changes that the patient is experiencing in the ward to the presenting condition and the effects of surgery and anaesthesia.
? Discuss the reason for the changes in the patients vital signs with references e.g. low blood pressure – what could have caused this in your patient?
? Discuss how you would manage each of the abnormal vital signs in priority order needs. What do you need to do?
? Identify three specific members of the MDT you might refer the patient to during their admission. You are not required to discuss the role of the multidisciplinary team who would normally care for the patient e.g. surgeon, nurses etc.
o You must not make inappropriate referrals such as aged care assistance for a young person. Review the case study. Does the chosen patient have specific needs that require specific referrals i.e. would not normally see the patient unless called in by staff?
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