james Woodard

Case Study

This exercise directs the student to discuss about a problem-based learning (PBL) activity. PBL is a student-centered active method of instruction that enhances the students’ ability to learn about a subject by way of problem solving. According to Stanford University, the case study involves case-based teaching and provides Problem-based Learning (1994). The case study can be based on actual or fictitious events, which relay a story that involves a problem to be resolved (Stanford University, 1994). The utilization of case studies enhances the students’ critical and reflective thinking skills, decision-making, and problem solving abilities. This process also helps the student achieve a better understanding of certain disease processes and how systems interact. The first part of this paper will discuss the article “Making the Case Using Case Studies for Staff Development,” and addressing the article’s purpose, the research design, the activity, and the results. This paper will also address how the case study can be incorporated into an educator’s practice.
The case study from the literature is the problem-based learning activity to be discussed. The article is from the Journal for Nurses in Staff Development. In this article the author, Sherri M. Sprang BSN, RN, makes a case for using case studies for staff development. The article points out that the case study is a general teaching method utilized among instructors in the academic setting. The author points out that there is a lack of data concerning the effectiveness of case studies to support hospital-based educators utilizing this method of education. Simply there is a lack of evidence that shows that what works well in the classroom, the case study, should achieve similar results in the hospital-based setting. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate that the case study, as a teaching strategy, promotes learning, improves critical thinking, and enhances decision-making (Sprang, 2010).
The Casual design used for this article reflects the Review of Literature for research. The primary goal of causal research is to test a hypothesis about a cause-and-effect relationship (Kotler, Adam, Brown, and Armstrong, 2006). This Review involves the researcher examining a body of literature towards answering a research question. According to one University of North Carolina website, defines the body of literature as a collection of published information and data which has relevance to the research question. The question for this article was whether or not the case study, a problem-based learning (PBL) activity would be effective for hospital-based educators to use as a teaching strategy (Curtis, 2011). This again is reflective of this article’s Causal design as it points out the causality studies. Causality is when one understands a phenomenon in terms of conditional statements in the form. If X it works in the academic setting, then Y, it should work in the hospital-based setting (Bachman, 2007). The Review tested the research question against the Body of Knowledge (BOK). The Review of Literature clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of the case study and the likelihood that the case study would be an effective tool for the hospital-based educator to use for staff development.
The article demonstrates the effectiveness of the activity, the case study as a teaching strategy first with a review of the literature and examples of its application to both department orientation and the improvement of patient outcomes. The review of the literature reflected many benefits that support the utilization of the case study as a teaching approach. This process allows the instructor to guide the student to a better understanding of the nursing process. The literature shows that case study use provides students with the necessary tools to develop their critical and reflective thinking abilities, decision-making skills, problem solving abilities, and their understanding of disease processes. This process increases classroom communication between student and instructor and creates a team approach atmosphere to problem solving.
Additional reports demonstrate that when instructors use clinical-based problems to solve, the students are better prepared to use thinking strategies, develop reasoning and critical abilities. The case study builds on existing knowledge. The literature shows that case study build the students’ problem-solving skills by their applying their previous experience, the students gaining new information, and their assimilating practical knowledge (Sprang, 2010).
Next to support the case study as a problem-based learning (PBL) activity, the article uses examples of case study application to first department orientation/ staff development and secondly the improvement of patient outcomes. The author explains the premise that since the case study method is an effective teaching strategy in the academic setting it should also be effective in teaching in a hospital-based setting, as well. The article identifies two methods that hospital-based educators could employ the case study into their teaching practice. The first method involves using the case study to orient new staff on unique unit populations. The second distinct method available for the hospital-based educator is to encourage floor staff to utilize the case study. The staff nurse can use the case study as a systematic review of a care situation to improve the patient outcomes.
The results, Sprang suggests that since the case study technique works well in the academic setting, incorporating the case study in staff education could enhance the critical and reflective thinking skills, decision-making, and problem solving abilities in registered nurses. The article is clear that the staff nurse needs to be given the tools to provide safe, high-quality care. The author points out that the use of the case study method expands the nurse’s previously learned material; this professional growth will make the nurse much more effective at the bedside. Reports demonstrate that when instructors utilize clinical-based problems to solve, the students are better prepared to use thinking strategies, develop reasoning skills, and improve their critical abilities. The article is clear that hospital-based educators can utilize the case study to achieve the goal of enhancing their staff nurses’ abilities of problem-solving, decision-making, and critical-thinking. The author explains that it would be wise to take a cue from academia and adopt the case study method. The case study method provides their staff with the best learning opportunities to develop their individual skills. The use of the case study helps the development of nursing skills necessary to promote positive patient outcomes.
This portion of the paper deals with the student describes how the case study can be incorporated into an educator’s practice. Case studies help students to know how to use what they learn, issues and principles, in class to a real-world situation (Pyatt, 2006). The instructor should help to create a classroom environment that will help keep the students engaged. The instructor can create this atmosphere by simply setting some participation ground rules. One article defines accountability as “having the responsibility and authority to act and fully accepting the consequences for the results of those actions” (Willard, and Hitchcock, p. 1, 1998). It is undesirable for one or more of the members not pull their weight, leaving others to pick up the slack. The best case scenario would be a team that works well together, and every member contributes towards achieving the goal or mission (Teacher Rubric for Group Work, 2014). An author points out that to increase individual accountability an instructor should grade based on both the group and the individual assessments (Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), (2014). The classroom case discussions generated from the Case study involves the students exploring a problem, identifying pertinent facts from available data, developing and presenting conclusions to the class and instructor (Christensen, and Hansen, 1987). The environment is where there are no naïve questions, and students announce hypotheses until identifying the solution. The problem-solving process is a group project where the instructor acts as a guide. The University of Pennsylvania website recommends that the instructor begins with the simple case studies and move to more complex scenarios. This gradual move towards complexity allows students to build confidence and skills while avoiding frustration. The instructor also provides enough in class time for students to discuss projects. The instructor establishes etiquette guidelines to promote respects and plan for controversial case studies. Start case discussion with a simple open ended question to promote open-ended answers (Pyatt, 2006). Th instructor uses a rubric for group work to be fair to individual participants. Evaluation of the students’ learning is necessary to ensure the effectiveness of teaching and learning and improvement of instruction (Lewis, 2006).
In conclusion, the case study is an effective teaching technique. The case study strategy is effective in the academic setting and given a chance would be as effective in the hospital-based setting. The case studies method helps the student achieve a better understanding of certain disease processes and how systems interact. Educators of both settings would do well to incorporate the case study into their teaching practice to enhance the critical and reflective thinking skills, decision-making, and problem solving abilities in registered nurses.

References

Bachman, R. The Practice of Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice. Chapter 5, Causation and Research Designs. 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) (2014). What are the challenges of group work and how can I address them? Retrieved 1/10/2014 from http://www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/design/instructionalstrategies/groupprojects/challenges.html
Christensen, C. R., and Hansen, A. J. (1987). Teaching and the Case Method. Boston: Harvard Business School.
Curtis, A. (2011). The Review of Literature for Research. University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Mass Communication Dept. Retrieved 1/25/2014 from http://www2.uncp.edu/home/acurtis/Courses/ResourcesForCourses/LitReview.html
Lewis, K. (2006). Evaluation of Online Group Activities: Intra-Group Member Peer Evaluation. Retrieved 1/21/2014 from http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference/Resource_library/proceedings/06_4136.pdf
Teacher Rubric for Group Work. Retrieved 1/15/2014 from http://museumca.org/goldrush/curriculum/we_accuse/tgrouprubric.html
Kotler, P., Adam, S., Brown, L., and Armstrong, G. (2006). Principles of marketing. An Introduction. The 3rd ed. Pearson Education Australia, Sydney.
Pyatt, E. (2006). Penn State University.
Sprang, S. (2010). Making the Case Using Case Studies for Staff Development. Journal for Nurses in Staff Development. March/April 2010, Volume 26, Number 2, Pages E6-E10. Retrieved 1/20/2014 from http://www.nursingcenter.com/lnc/static?pageid=1071277
Stanford University (1994). Teaching with Case Studies. Speaking of Teaching. Center for Teaching and Learning. Retrieved 1/24/2014 from http://www.stanford.edu/dept/CTL/cgi-bin/docs/newsletter/case_studies.pdf
Willard, M., and Hitchcock, D (1998). Accountability a Sticky Subject for Teams. Retrieved 1/16/2014 from http://teambuildersplus.com/artic