Posted: May 23rd, 2015

Topic: case study essay

 

Assessment item 1: Academic Essay – Individual

Word count: 2100 words +/- 10%

 

To locate this case study go to:

  1. http://www.cancerlearning.gov.au/edcan_resources/
  2. Click on the ‘Domain 3 Provision and coordination of care’ link
  3. Click on the ‘Case studies’ link
  4. Click on the ‘Colorectal Cancer’ link (left hand tool bar)

 

The following additional information should be considered when addressing the Academic Essay:

 

 

In addition to the above case study information your essay should consider the following:

 

In the case study John undergoes surgery. Following surgery John agrees to receive adjuvant chemotherapy that includes Fluorouracil. John returns for his third cycle of chemotherapy to an outpatient clinic (day patient only) and reports feeling ‘not himself’ and sometimes unwell since his last cycle of chemotherapy. In the nurse’s discussion with John the following points are raised:

 

  • He feels achy all over and lethargic. He notices it more for the few days following chemotherapy treatments but he has felt unwell other days as well. He takes a few ‘Panadol’ and ‘Neurofen’ when he feels this way and that helps a little.
  • He tells you that some days he has no energy to go outside of the house and feels he is missing out on the activities he usually enjoys. He likes to help his daughter with her real-estate agency by doing maintenance work for the rental properties she manages. He also likes to walk his dog twice a day, but finds this difficult because he feels too tired. Before the cancer diagnosis he rarely took afternoon naps, but now he feels he can’t miss having a two-hour nap every afternoon.
  • He worries about his wife and his future. He doesn’t want to discuss these feelings with his wife as she is often emotional when his cancer treatment is mentioned in conversation. Most nights he finds it difficult to fall asleep even though he feels tired. He often wakes at 3AM and cannot fall back asleep. When this happens, he usually gets up and plays solitaire on his computer.

 

John’s other medications that he takes at home include:

  • Dexamethasone 8 mg orally (PO) for 2 to 3 days post chemotherapy
  • Metoclopramide 10 mg PO one to two tablets every 4 to 6 hours when required

 

PREPARING TO WRITE:

 

To prepare for writing the essay, complete the Clinical Decision Making Framework template for all of John’s problems (refer to your module workbook for the template). This exercise should cover relevant assessment data that supports the identification of John’s problems, goals, possible interventions and evaluation criteria, and will help you focus on one problem for the essay below. Include this template as an appendixto the essay. This does not need references and is not included in the word count.

 

Academic Essay requires you to address the following points:

 

IDENTIFY PATIENT PROBLEM

Identify and explain the possible cause(s) of John’s problem (Choose only one (1) problem). Use evidence-based literature to support the explanation.

 

PROBLEM ASSESSMENT

Choose one (1) assessment tool that would be appropriate to use when assessing John’s problem. Provide a justification, with evidence-based literature, as to why this tool is appropriate for John.

 

MANAGEMENT INTERVENTION

Choose one (1) priority* intervention (nursing and/or collaborative) that will best manage John’s problem. Use evidence-based literature to justify why this intervention is likely to manage John’s problem successfully.

 

PREVENTION INTERVENTION

Choose one (1) priority* intervention (nursing and/or collaborative) that may prevent John from experiencing the problem during future cycles of chemotherapy. Use evidence-based literature to justify this intervention.

 

EVALUATION

Identify the criteria from the assessment tool to evaluate the predicted outcome of the two interventions recommended for John.

 

* There are multiple possible interventions for John that may be appropriate. The term ‘priority’ requires you to focus on the intervention you feel is the most appropriate based on the research you conduct for this essay. Do not discuss more than one intervention to manage John’s problem and one intervention to prevent John’s the problem from occurring in the future in your essay.

ACADEMIC ESSAY – POINTS FOR CONSIDERATION:

The above assessment task is best addressed using the following format:

 

Use the following headings:

 

Introduction [200 words]

Your introduction should include a brief overview of John’s case and the one (1) problem that is the focus of your essay.

 

Patient Problem:________________ [200 words]

 

Problem assessment tool [200 words]

 

Management Intervention [500-700 words]Your intervention should discuss:

  • what the intervention is
  • how it works to manage the problem John is experiencing
  • how the intervention is administered (e.g. how much/how often etc.)
  • what the benefits are of this intervention for John
  • what the evidenced based literature says about the intervention
  • what the different perspectives/opinions/findings are regarding this intervention – why this intervention is most suitable/appropriate for John

 

Prevention Intervention [500-700 words]

 

Your intervention should discuss:

  • what the intervention is
  • how it works to prevent John from experiencing the problem during future cycles of chemotherapy
  • how the intervention is administered (e.g. how much/how often etc.)
  • what the benefits are of this intervention for John
  • what the evidenced based literature says about the intervention
  • what the different perspectives/opinions/findings are regarding this intervention – why this intervention is most suitable/appropriate for John

 

Evaluation [100 words]

Identify the most relevant and appropriate criteria from the assessment tool for evaluating the predicted outcomes of the discussed interventions.

 

Conclusion [200 words]

Give a brief summary of the main points of the essay.

 

References [not included in word count]

 

Appendix 1 (Nursing Process Template for all of John’s problems) [not included in word count, and no references required]

 

ACADEMIC ESSAY – POINTS FOR CONSIDERATION CONTINUED:

 

Research and Writing Guidelines:

  1. Spend some time familiarising yourself with the EdCan resources and the colorectal case study. You will find links to references embedded in the colorectal case scenario and learning activities that may be helpful in your research.

 

  1. Use references that are primarily peer-reviewed journal articles, published within the last ten years. Consumer websites, Wikipedia and websites that are not government-based or related to professional organisations are unacceptable. Examples of acceptable websites include:
    • National Health and Medical Research Council
    • State Departments of Health
    • Publications aimed at health professionals from organisations such as those found in Cancer Australia – Cancer Learning Resources (for example EdCan, eviQ). (The consumer materials published on these websites are not acceptable.)

 

  1. A critical review of the evidence means synthesising the research literature from different perspectives and arguing that the chosen intervention will benefit the patient.

 

  1. Observation, assessment and further diagnostic testing are not considered suitable interventions for this assessment.

 

  1. For the purpose of this assessment, your suggested intervention to manage John’s problem must be different from the intervention you suggest to prevent John from experiencing the problem during future cycles of chemotherapy.

 

  1. At least 15 to 20 high quality academic references, used appropriately, are expected to support the arguments within your essay.

 

 

Formatting Guidelines:

You are expected to present your assignment in a scholarly fashion. It should conform to the following academic conventions. Penalties will apply if these conventions are not adhered to. Use the following points as a checklist prior to submission:

 

 

  • Include a footer with page numbers “x of y” and a header with your name and student number on all pages

 

  • Use a separate page for references. The reference page is not included in the word count

 

  • Reference according to APA conventions only. Please refer to QUT Cite/Write for these referencing conventions.

 

  • Bullet points and numbering are not appropriate in this assessment item

 

  • Use size 12 font, Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri font and 1.5 line spacing for all assignments, left and right justify, and ensure margins of 2.5 cm on the right and left of the page.

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