College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Bachelor of Nursing
NURS2002 Case-study Assignment
Supplementary Assessment 2019

You are a 2nd year nursing student on her Professional Experience Placement for your nursing topic.
You have been placed in a large metropolitan public hospital on a medical ward mainly specialising in
patients with respiratory conditions. On the 3rd week of a 4 week placement, you have adapted to the
ward well and feel comfortable as well as confident being there. It is now Wednesday of the 3rd week
and you have just come into the ward on an early shift. As always, you arrive about 10 minutes early.

During handover you are allocated 4 patients and you will be supervised by Registered Nurse Kylie
Scott. You are told by the Team Leader Adam Vronsky that

Kylie won’t be here until 9am but I am sure you will be OK, just come and get me if you have
any problems.

You go to see your 4 patients who are

• Mrs Maria Gianopolis – an 87yo Greek woman who does not speak very much English and her
daughter in law is present with her. She has come in with an exacerbation of her COAD
• Mr James Smith – a 54yo business man who has pneumonia
• Ms Helen March - 65yo woman with pneumonia and asthma, She has just come down from ICU
after being there with respiratory failure.
• Mrs Vera Yardley – a 77yo woman with emphysema and who is non-compliant with her
medication regime and smoking.

When you approach Mrs Gianopolis, her daughter-in-law tells you that her mother-in-law has pain and
that she needs something for it. You check her medication orders and see that she has nothing
ordered. You go to see Adam who says

Just give her 2 Panadol and I’ll fix it up later with the Dr.

You go and get the 2 Panadol and take it to Adam to check who says

Just go and give it to her will you, for goodness sake, you don’t have to get every little thing
checked!

You go to give them to Mrs Gianopolis who looks at you blankly and says No No. Her daughter –in-law
takes them from you and speaks strongly to Mrs Gianopolis in Greek and she takes them. You go to
document it but there isn’t a medication order.

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 College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Bachelor of Nursing
NURS2002Assignment 4 Case-Study Analysis

The Assignment (1,200 words)

Read through the above scenario and isolate any incident that is about

• Clinical governance
• Professional self-care strategies
• Law and ethics
• Cultural safety

Choose 2 separate incidents which cover 2 of the above areas and discuss why you believe that there
has been a breach in the principles behind the area above. Further outline what actions that you would
undertake to counteract the breach and any other relevant actions. You should research widely in the 2
areas and utilise state and national government policies as necessary. Finally discuss how this would
influence your practice as a nursing student.

Structure of Assignment

• Introduction (100-150 words)

• Incident 1 (450words)
• Incident 2 (450words)
• Conclusion - Influence on own practice as a nursing student (200 words)

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