NRSG258 | Acute Care Nursing | Australian Catholic University

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.

You can also make an appointment with the Learning Advisor on your campus for general help with essay writing, although they cannot help you with content.

o 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, a number of which can be found on Clinical Key e.g. Brown et al 2015 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 consumer websites e.g. Better Health Channel, WedMed, dictionaries, encyclopaedias etc. These 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). If you Google Sydney University APA referencing guide you will be able to access a very comprehensive guide to referencing which you can copy to your desktop

• 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

• Do not copy information from books or articles or information from previous students’ assignments, including your own which is called ‘recycling’. 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 & page numbers in a header or footer.

• 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.

• No abbreviations such as e.g. i.e. etc. in your essay and you must explain

terms not just copy them out of a book.

• No headings 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. aetiology (cause of the condition), reasons the patient may be susceptible i.e. risk factors & complications of the condition. Do not discuss the surgical procedure. You need to show you understand the procedure 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. airway is A and pain is in D (disability). What comes before D 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 patient’s 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. NOT surgeon, nurses etc. Do not make inappropriate referrals e.g. those that would be more suited to a child or much older person.

Provide an introduction to the case study – what are you going to discuss. Write the introduction last you know what you have discussed.

Discuss the aetiology & pathophysiology of Cushing’s syndrome – where does the problem arise e.g. what glands and briefly what do they do.

What is are the signs and symptoms? What is the cause?

Discuss aetiology and pathophysiology of Susan’s vital signs post-op. E.g. what are normal vital signs (reference required) How do her vital signs link to her presenting condition e.g. alcohol, obesity & her Cushing’s syndrome and hypertension.

What could be the causes of all her symptoms if taken together. What is the impact of hypothermia on her vital signs?

What is the normal hourly urine output (reference required) and what reasons could Susan have for low output

(Review A&P books, Brown et al, pathophysiology books and literature via Google Scholar or UpToDate)

What are Susan’s specific care needs 2hrs post-op in relation to removal of her adrenal tumour

What do you need to do about her abnormal vital signs What is safe care 2hrs post-operatively for Susan

(Review Brown et al 2015 or other academic sources)

Referrals

Review Susan’s history. Which MDT professionals would assist Susan’s long term recovery

(You can use the professional websites for the roles of the MDT referrals and how they would help Susan or other academic sources)

Provide a conclusion to your case study which sums up the main findings i.e. what you learned about Cushing’s syndrome, adrenalectomy and your care not ‘I discussed that and I discussed that’.

Provide an introduction to the case study – what are you going to discuss. Write the introduction last you know what you have discussed.

Discuss the aetiology & pathophysiology of obesity – where does the problem arise what is obesity?

What are the effects of untreated obesity? What is the cause?

How does surgery manage obesity?

(Review A&P books, Brown et al, pathophysiology books and literature via Google Scholar or UpToDate

Discuss aetiology and pathophysiology of Kathleen’s vital signs post-op. E.g. what are normal vital signs (reference required) How do her vital signs link to her presenting condition e.g. alcohol, obesity & hypertension, smoking.

What could be the causes of all her symptoms if taken together.

What is the impact of pain on Kathleen’s vital signs

What is the normal hourly urine output (reference required) and what reasons could Kathleen have for low output

(Review A&P books, Brown et al, pathophysiology books and literature via Google Scholar or UpToDate)

What are Kathleen’s specific care needs 2hrs post-op in relation to removal of part of her stomach

What do you need to do about her abnormal vital signs What is safe care 2hrs post-operatively for Kathleen?

Referrals

Review Kathleen’s history. Which MDT professionals would assist Kathleen’s long term recovery

Provide a conclusion to your case study which sums up the main findings i.e. what you learned about obesity and your care not ‘I discussed that and I discussed that’.