How to Write A Nursing Client Care Study

Client care studies, also known as case studies, are an important nursing school requirement. As future healthcare providers, it is essential for students to gain hands-on clinical experience caring for patients. The client care study allows nursing programs to evaluate if students can effectively apply their theoretical knowledge to real patient scenarios. 

However, crafting a high-quality case study can feel overwhelming to some. In this article, I will break down the key components of an A-grade client care study and provide a simple template to make the process manageable.

What is a Client Care Study?

A client care study documents a nursing student’s experience providing care to a single patient from admission through to discharge or death. The goal is to showcase the student’s clinical competencies such as assessment skills, care planning abilities, and evaluation of patient outcomes. Client care studies provide evidence to nursing boards that graduates can safely and competently care for clients independently. 

Through a case study, students are assessed on their understanding of a patient’s condition, selection of appropriate interventions, and application of the nursing process. The final paper must incorporate relevant academic research, include a detailed nursing care plan, and analyze the effectiveness of the care provided.

Purpose and Requirements of a Client Care Study

Client care studies are mandatory for nurses to become registered in organizations like the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria. They aim to certify that nursing students have gained real-world patient care experience before being licensed to practice independently. Councils require case studies to cover one admission to discharge client journey, although mortality can also be documented.

Studies must maintain client confidentiality by removing identifying details and using initials instead of names. Demographic data inclusion is limited to avoid recognition. Students follow their assigned institutions’ ethical guidelines to protect privacy. 

The formatting and structuring of case studies can vary between schools, but core elements like a nursing care plan and analysis of outcomes are universally expected. With the below outlined structure, students can satisfy all registration requirements.

Choosing a Topic and Patient  

The first step is identifying a suitable health condition to focus on. Students should pick a diagnosis that will provide ample opportunities to explore disease pathology, signs/symptoms, nursing interventions, medications, and more. Common topics include hypertension, diabetes, infections like pneumonia, or postoperative clients. rarer conditions may lack sufficient academic literature.

Next, students must select a patient experiencing the targeted diagnosis. The best candidates will have a straightforward admission-discharge journey without complex comorbidities. Seeking guidance from clinical preceptors can help source ideal patients. Students must obtain full consent to access the individual’s chart for documentation and adhere to privacy regulations.

Developing the Structure

To demonstrate a logical flow of care and inclusion of key elements, the case study must use a clear structure. Breaking the paper into distinct chapters provides that needed organization. A four-chapter framework works exceedingly well: 

• • Chapter 1 – Introduction: Provides an overview of the patient and targeted diagnosis. 
  • Chapter 2 – Literature Review: Discusses relevant academic research on disease processes, interventions, and more. 
  • Chapter 3 – Patient Care: Documents everything done for the client during their admission.
  • Chapter 4 – Conclusion: Analyzes outcomes, evaluates the nursing process, and gives recommendations.

• References

Following this outlined template will help nursing students to confidently address all assessment criteria in a cohesive manner from start to finish. Now let’s examine how to populate each chapter effectively.

Chapter 1: Introduction

The opening introduction acquires the reader’s interest while protecting privacy. It begins by stating the focus is on a client with initials like “A.B.” rather than a full name. Basic demographic details are included, such as age, gender, admission date and ward or room. Then, a one to two sentence outline of the targeted diagnosis concludes the information provided. This piques the reader’s curiosity for what is to come.

Chapter 2: Literature Review

Chapter two sees students applying academic research to build a foundation of disease knowledge. It begins by explaining anatomy and physiology relevant to the condition. Then, the diagnosis itself is defined, and classifications or types explored. Pathophysiology sheds light on disease causation and progression. Descriptions of common signs, symptoms and potential complications help contextualize the specific client’s situation. 

Finally, standards of care, treatment guidelines and nursing responsibilities are examined based on evidence-based sources. At the end of the chapter, a references list cites all academic materials to validate information provided.

Chapter 3: Patient Care

The bulk of the case study focuses on the individual client’s hospital experience and care plan. It begins by outlining the chief complaint, patient history and initial assessment findings upon admission. Details are provided on where the client was lodged (room type, shared/private). Any diagnostic testing results and medical diagnoses established are then documented. Students also exhaustively list all nursing interventions, including: medication administration, treatment procedures, comfort or discharge education provided. 

Vital signs, symptoms and the patient’s overall condition during their stay are logged. Special procedures, referrals to other services and multidisciplinary communications are noted. At the conclusion, discharge details such as the client’s general state and any post-hospitalization management instructions are summarized. Throughout, students reference course materials and standards to show expertise.

Chapter 4: Conclusion

The capstone chapter evaluates applied nursing care and proposes recommendations. It restates the initial route of admission, diagnosis and any changes that may have occurred. An analysis of the client’s response to interventions, education and discharge instructions is then presented. Positive and negative outcomes relating to the nursing process, care plan usage and multidisciplinary collaboration are identified. 

Lastly, based on evidence and experience gained, students recommend policies, guidelines or approaches that could further enhance patient care and outcomes for similar cases going forward. This ties the study to its greater purpose of advancing practice.

References

The references section is a crucial component of the nursing client care study as it demonstrates the nurse’s ability to consult and utilize credible sources to support their findings and recommendations. The references should include all the sources cited throughout the case study and should be formatted according to the appropriate referencing style, such as the American Psychological Association (APA) style.

The APA style is a widely used referencing format in academic writing, particularly in the social sciences and healthcare disciplines. It provides guidelines for citing various sources, including books, journal articles, websites, and other relevant materials. Adhering to the APA style ensures consistency, accuracy, and proper credit to the original authors and sources.

When creating the reference list, the following guidelines should be followed:

1. Format: The references should be listed in alphabetical order by the authors’ last names. If there is no author, the title of the source should be used as the starting point for alphabetization.
2. Author Names: List the last name followed by initials for all authors. Use an ampersand (&) before the last author’s name in the reference.
3. Publication Year: Provide the publication year in parentheses immediately after the authors’ names. Enclose the year in parentheses and follow it with a period.
4. Title: Capitalize the first letter of the first word of the title, subtitle, and any proper nouns. Italicize the title of books, journals, and other standalone sources. Use sentence case for article titles and chapter titles (i.e., capitalize only the first letter of the first word and any proper nouns). 
5. Journal Articles: Include the article title, journal title (italicized), volume number (italicized), issue number (in parentheses), and page range. Use title case for the journal title.
6. Books: Include the book title (italicized), place of publication, and publisher.
7. Websites: Include the webpage title, the name of the website (italicized), the URL, and the retrieval date (if the content is subject to change).
8. DOI: If a digital object identifier (DOI) is available for a source, it should be included at the end of the reference.

Example Citations in APA style:

Journal Article

Smith, A. B., Johnson, C. D., & Williams, E. F. (2022). Nursing interventions for managing pain in postoperative patients. Journal of Nursing Care, 15(2), 120-135.

Book

Davis, C. L., & Taylor, S. L. (2019). Fundamentals of Nursing Care: Concepts, Connections & Skills. Pearson.

Website

National Institute of Health. (2021). Hypertension Guidelines. Retrieved from https://www.nih.gov/hypertension-guidelines

You can do well to consult the official APA Publication Manual or online resources for specific guidelines and examples for different source types, Here is the APA style 7th edition.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, by making use of this four-chapter structure and template, nursing students can create fully comprehensive yet digestible organized client care studies. Following the outlined framework ensures all academic and registration requirements are systematically fulfilled. 

Most importantly, it allows critical self-reflection to take place that drives continual nursing skill development and quality improvement in service of clients. Future nurses will benefit greatly from mastering this clinical documentation approach early in their careers.