College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Bachelor of Nursing
NURS2002 Professionalism in Action
Page 1 of 2
Assignment 4 Case-study Assignment 2020
Caitlyn Smart is a 2nd year nursing student on a 4-week Professional Experience Placement. She has
been placed in a large metropolitan public hospital on a medical ward specialising in patients with
respiratory conditions. On the 3rd. week, she has adapted to the ward well feeling comfortable as well
as confident being there. It is now Wednesday, and she has just entered the ward on an early shift.
As always, she arrives about 10 minutes early.
During handover Caitlyn is allocated 4 patients and she will be supervised by Registered Nurse
Kylie Scott. She is 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.”
Caitlyn proceeds to go to and greet her 4 patients who are:
• Mrs Maria Giannopoulos – 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 businessman who has pneumonia
• Ms Helen March – 65yo woman with pneumonia and asthma, who has just arrived from ICU
after being treated for respiratory failure.
• Mrs Vera Yardley – a 77yo woman with emphysema and who is non-compliant with her
medication regime and smoking.
When she approached Mrs Giannopoulos, her daughter-in-law tells her that her mother-in-law has
pain and she needs something for it. She checks her medication orders and find there is no pain
relief ordered for her. She then approached Adam who says
“Just give her 2 Panadol and I’ll fix it up later with the Dr.”
She proceeded to dispense 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!”
She goes to administer the Paracetamol to Mrs Giannopoulos who looks at her blankly and says, “No
No!”. Her daughter –in-law takes the medication from her and speaks strongly to Mrs Giannopoulos in
Greek and gives Mrs Giannopoulos the medication, who then swallows the paracetamol. She then
goes to document the medication administration but there isn’t a medication order.
College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Bachelor of Nursing
NURS2002 Professionalism in Action
Page 2 of 2
Assignment 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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