Essay Sample on Case Study: A Common Technique in Nursing Practice

Introduction

According to Trull et al. (2018), a case study is a term used commonly in social as well as life science about a typical research technique involving an up-close, in-depth, and comprehensive examination of a specific case. Nursing provides the best example of a field of study in which health practitioners witness numerous case studies in their daily operations. For instance, a typical case study in nursing may investigate a specific patient that a doctor treated and taken care of by a nurse. Every department in a clinical setting experiences various types of case studies (Gianoli, Jane, O'Brien, & Ralevski, 2012). However, one of the most critical roles that health practitioners, including nurses and doctors, need to perform is to ensure that they handle every case study in a way that is not unique but appropriate to the challenges that it presents. Failing to manage every case study appropriately can culminate in multiple adverse effects, including the damaged reputation of the involved health professionals and the health facility, death of the patient, and lawsuits that may lead to fines (Trull et al., 2018). This paper provides a summary of the personal analysis of two different online case studies focusing on medical administration as well as fundamental nursing skills.

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Case Study A: Fundamental Nursing Skills

This section presents a typical case study that requires fundamental nursing skills in the field of mental health and psychiatry to help the target patient.

Overview of the Case Study

According to the Society of Clinical Psychology (n.d), Albert is a 33-year-old single Caucasian male who presented at the clinic with complaints of encountering pervasively depressed mood after dissolving a romantic relationship that lasted for six months. The patient complained of feelings of emptiness and felt convinced of being alone forever. Albert also suffers from recurrent suicidal thoughts despite denying experiences of suicidal attempts and engaging in self-denial behaviors. Also, the patient encounters chronic difficulties in managing his emotions and underscores the fact that his colleagues may describe him as being moody (Society of Clinical Psychology, n.d). Albert can quickly escalate to inappropriate anger resulting from minor issues, which eventually leads to feelings of guilt and embarrassment. This anger makes it difficult for the patient to sustain his relationships. As a result, Albert seeks reassurance from his colleague and drinks in excess. The patient's drinking attribute compels him to call out from work to attend to his problems. Currently, Albert is out to find a treatment strategy that will help him in managing and regulating intense emotions in an adaptive way (Society of Clinical Psychology, n.d). Lastly, Albert expects to learn effective strategies to manage his interpersonal relations better.

Case Study Analysis

A detailed analysis of Albert's case shows that he has a borderline personality disorder (BPD) with co-morbid alcohol use. Handling such a patient requires a professional nurse with the necessary skills in mental health and psychiatry (Mellos, Liappas, & Paparrigopoulos, 2010). The nurse should begin by taking the history of the patient as presented in the case study before making an appropriate diagnosis of the mental illness. BPD is a psychiatric condition characterized by difficulties in regulating and managing emotions (Gianoli et al., 2012). People who experience BPD feel intense emotions for extended periods and may find it difficult to return to the reasonable condition after an event that triggers their emotions. The difficulties in regulating emotions may lead to feelings of impulsivity, having a poor self-image, being in stormy relationships, and having intensely emotional responses to stressors (Trull et al., 2018). Lastly, struggling with self-regulation may also culminate in dangerous behaviors, such as self-harm and suicidal thoughts, as seen in the case of Albert.

The Society of Clinical Psychology (n.d) identified a wide range of additional signs that people suffering from BPD demonstrate. First, such patients have a higher probability of abusing alcohol and other drugs. Secondly, people with BPD express intense anger and aggression alongside feelings of irritability and self-guilt. Lastly, patients diagnosed with BPD experience mood cycles that may be difficult to manage. However, nursing practitioners have multiple options to treat and manage the condition (Gianoli et al., 2012). Research indicates that an effective treatment plan should include the patients' preferences while seeking to provide ultimate solutions to any other co-existing conditions, such as alcohol abuse, as seen in the case of Albert. Examples of evidence-based treatment options for BPD include psychotherapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT). The use of medications such as antidepressants and mood stabilizers can help in the management of mood swings (Mellos et al., 2010). Lastly, short-term hospitalization can provide appropriate solutions during moments of extreme stress resulting in impulsive and suicidal behavior to ensure safety.

Case Study B: Medical Administration

This part presents a case study featuring issues of medical administration and its corresponding analysis.

Overview of the Case Study

Griner (n.d) presented a case study in which he served as one of the ten specialists in Internal Medicine at an extensive Air Force Hospital. However, the ten specialists worked under a chief of medicine who was a lazy, dishonest, and an incompetent physician. Griner got the opportunity to work at the Air force Hospital through the Berry Plan, a plan that allowed young physicians to defer their initial obligations until they finished training. Therefore, Griner and his colleagues intended to return to civilians after completing their draft obligations. However, the ten physicians became more concerned about the leadership deficiencies of their chief, whose medical practice was deplorable to the extent of putting the safety of patients at risk. The chief's nature of absenteeism forced Griner and his colleagues to take care of his patients. The ten physicians agreed to forward the issue to the hospital commander to who responded by transferring the incompetent chief to a small hospital in England.

Ginner and his colleagues convinced the commander, who was also a colonel and a physician, with evidence of poor patient care, unscheduled absences, and overall lack of professionalism. However, Ginner (n.d) remained concerned with the fact that the decision to transfer him still posed a threat to the staff and patients at the new hospital. The medical team in England could probably suffer from the former chief's negative behavior. The management of the Air Force Hospital, in turn, replaced the embattled leader with an excellent and competent general internist. The new chief was a good manager who had a mutual working relationship with the ten physicians. Surprisingly, Griner met with the former boss in a restaurant while on a trip to London. The chief revealed that he was no longer seeing patients and was instead happy in his new administrative work as a career air force officer. Griner concluded the case study by revealing that he was delighted because the embattled chief was no longer attending to patients.

Case Study Analysis

Medical administration is a critical task that requires people with a strong commitment to leadership to provide high-quality and timely services to patients regardless of their geographical origin (Sfantou et al., 2015). Leaders must also have the appropriate talent and competence in terms of intellectual skills, technical knowledge, and work-based experience to provide the proper direction that subordinates must follow when serving patients as their primary target audience. The chief of medicine at the Air Force Hospital demonstrated qualities of poor leadership, which can have a far-reaching impact not only to the patients but also to the hospital itself (Daly, Jackson, Mannix, Davidson, & Hutchinson, 2014). For instance, the poor leadership of the embattled chief led to issues of low staff morale among the ten physicians in the case study. The physicians had to cater to the needs of his patients in his unscheduled absence and, in turn, cover his incompetence during the first days of service (West & West, 2015). The physicians repeatedly complained of boredom and exhaustion to the extent of reporting the chief's inferior leadership approaches to the hospital commander.

Also, poor leadership, as demonstrated by the chief of medicine at the Air Force Hospital, can lead to continuous complaints among patients, which could culminate in damaged reputation for the physicians and the hospital at large (Sfantou et al., 2015). Many medical officers find it difficult to report issues of unethical behavior of their leaders due to the fear of the associated consequences, such as losing their jobs. However, building and promoting the culture of whistle-blowing can be an effective strategy towards solving such issues (West & West, 2015). Also, there is a need for the contemporary management of healthcare facilities to put in place appropriate and confidential reporting systems to gather adequate information regarding patient care. The failure to have such systems puts the lives of patients at risk, and most of them may even die while waiting to receive services from officers who are always absent from their jobs (Daly et al., 2014)., as described in the case study.

Conclusion

Case studies play a vital role in the field of nursing and medicine. Many medical practitioners, including nurses and physicians, prefer using case studies in exploratory research to understand various pertinent issues associated with their operations. Case studies can also generate new ideas regarding multiple challenges facing a particular medical system and facility and help in developing appropriate counterstrategies. For example, Grinner and his colleagues used a case study to understand the adverse effects of their chief's poor leadership tactics before reporting him to the hospital commander. Therefore, health professionals should continue using case studies to solve organizational issues and ensure effective medical administration, as discussed in this paper.

References

Daly, J., Jackson, D., Mannix, J., Davidson, P.M., & Hutchinson, M. (2014). The importance of clinical leadership in the hospital setting. Journal of Healthcare Leadership, 6(1), 75-80. Retrieved from https://www.dovepress.com/the-importance-of-clinical-leadership-in-the-hospital-setting-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-JHL.

Gianoli, M. O., Jane, J. S., O'Brien, E., & Ralevski, E. (2012). Treatment for co-morbid borderline personality disorder and alcohol use disorders: A review of the evidence and future recommendations. 20(4), 333-334. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3697118/.

Griner, P. (n.d). Case Study: Mutiny. Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Retrieved from http://www.ihi.org/education/IHIOpenSchool/resources/Pages/Activities/Mutiny.aspx.

Mellos, E., Liappas, I., & Paparrigopoulos, T. (2010). Co-morbidity of personality disorders with alcohol abuse. In vivo, 24(1), 761-770. Retrieved from http://iv.iiarjournals.org/content/24/5/761.full.pdf+html.

Sfantou, D. F., Laliotis, A., Patelarou, A. E., Sifaki-Pistolla, D., Matalliotakis, M., & Patelarou, E. (2017). Importance of Leadership Style towards Quality of Care Measures in Healthcare Settings: A Systematic Review. Healthcare, 5(4), 73. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5746707/.

Society of Clinical Psychology (n.d). Case study: Albert (borderline per...