Applying the Clinical Reasoning Cycle to a Nursing Case Study

Unit Code: NRSG140: Foundations of Nursing Practice Assessment Task: 2: Clinical Reasoning Case Study Analysis Weighting: 40% Word Count: 1500 words (+/- 10%) Due Date: Week 9, Friday, 17:00 AEST

Rationale

This assessment task follows Assessment Task 1 (Health Interview) and is designed to develop your clinical reasoning skills. You will move from data collection to data interpretation, problem identification, and planning. This task requires you to apply a structured reasoning model to a patient scenario, demonstrating your ability to analyse cues, prioritise care, and justify nursing interventions using evidence-based literature. This is a core competency for safe and effective nursing practice.

Task Description

You will be provided with a short clinical case study (see Appendix A of the Unit Outline). Using Levett-Jones’s Clinical Reasoning Cycle as your framework, you must analyse the case study and produce a structured academic report.

Your report must include the following sections, clearly demarcated with headings:

1. Introduction (Approx. 150 words)
   • Briefly introduce the purpose of the report.
   • Define the concept of clinical reasoning and state the importance of its application in nursing practice, citing relevant literature.
   • Outline the structure of your report.
2. Analysis of Case Study (Approx. 1100 words)
   • Consider the Patient/Collect Cues: Identify and list relevant cues (subjective and objective data) from the case study.
   • Process Information/Cluster Cues: Group the collected cues into logical clusters that point toward a specific health problem or concern.
   • Identify Problems/Issues: Based on your cue clusters, formulate two (2) priority nursing problems for the patient. You must provide a justification for why you have prioritised these two problems.
   • Establish Goals: For each of the two nursing problems, establish one (1) patient-centred SMART goal (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound).
   • Take Action (Plan Interventions): For each nursing problem, propose and describe two (2) appropriate evidence-based nursing interventions. You must provide a clear, literature-supported rationale for each intervention, explaining why it is necessary and how it addresses the nursing problem or goal.
   • Evaluate Outcomes: For each goal, describe how you would evaluate its achievement. What specific patient outcomes would you assess?
3. Conclusion (Approx. 250 words)
   • Provide a concise summary of the main points discussed in your report.
   • Conclude with a reflection on how the application of a structured clinical reasoning model facilitates safe, person-centred, and evidence-based nursing care. Do not introduce new information.

Submission Requirements

• Format: Academic report, structured with the headings listed above.
• Referencing: All sources must be cited correctly in-text and listed in a reference list using Harvard referencing style.
• Sources: You must use a minimum of five (5) high-quality, peer-reviewed sources published within the last 7 years (2018-2025). Your core textbooks (e.g., Potter & Perry; Berman, Snyder & Levett-Jones) are essential reading but do not count toward this minimum of five peer-reviewed journal articles or scholarly texts.
• Submission: Submit as a single Microsoft Word document via the Turnitin link on the LEO unit site.

Recommended Resources/References

Dadgari, F., Saleh, A., Ghorbani, R. & Saleh, K. (2022) ‘The relationship between clinical reasoning and critical thinking skills in nursing students: a cross-sectional study’, BMC Nursing, 21(1), p. 293.

Kavanagh, J. & Szweda, C. (2021) ‘A framework for teaching clinical reasoning in nursing education’, Nurse Education in Practice, 50, 102927.

Levett-Jones, T. (ed.) (2020) Clinical reasoning: learning to think like a nurse. 2nd edn. Pearson Australia.

Vitor, A.F., Lira, A.L.B.C., Ferreira, G.L. & de Almeida, L.C.G. (2020) ‘Clinical reasoning in nursing: an analysis of the concept in different specialties’, International Journal of Nursing Knowledge, 31(2), pp. 115-121.