Overview
N431 Case Study – Assignment Description
Please review the instructions, template, and rubric for the case study. The case study should be approximately 5 pages total. Use the 5 main headings listed below.
The case study will be submitted using the Assignments tab.
Please note that writing style should conform to APA writing guidelines and be free of grammatical errors. References should be within 7 years of current date. (Up to 10 points can be deducted from overall score for significant errors in this category)
- Introduction: (one to two paragraphs)
Select an acute or chronic disease or condition that individual’s may choose to use complementary or alternative therapies to help resolve or ameliorate symptoms and promote health and well-being. Do not select the same health condition for different case studies.
a. Provide a brief introduction to the disease, condition, or issue and describe the conventional therapies used in conventional Western Medicine to address the disease or condition.
b. Describe potential issues related to the conventional Western Medicine therapies that might lead individuals to choose complementary or alternative therapies. Example could include the length of time for recovery, side effects of therapies, comorbid issues, and/or other physical or psychosocial issues related to the disorder, treatment, and/or recovery.
- Potential Complementary or Alternative Therapies with rationale: (one paragraph to describe each therapy)
List two common complementary or alternative therapies that individuals may choose to use related to this disease, condition, or issue. Do not select the same therapies for different case studies.
a. Describe the rationale for why the complementary of alternative therapy may be used in conjunction with conventional Western Medicine practices.
b. Provide a description of the underlying physical or biological mechanism of action for the different complementary or alternative therapies. (The scientific rationale for certain therapies may not be known at this time. You may provide the theories and proposed mechanisms for why the different therapies are effective.)
- Evidence-based practice for complementary or alternative therapies: (one paragraph for each article)
Evaluate the peer-reviewed literature related to the use of the potential complementary or alternative therapies for the selected disorder, condition, or issue.
Therapy #1: Provide one article from the peer-reviewed literature that addresses the use of the selected therapy for the patient condition/issue.
Critique the selected article. What is the study design? What were the results? Is there sufficient evidence to consider application of the topic/practice to promote health and well-being? Or Sufficient evidence to discourage use of therapy? Or insufficient data to either recommend or discourage the use of this topic?
Therapy #2: Provide one article from the peer-reviewed literature that addresses the use of the selected therapy for the patient condition/issue.
Critique the selected article. What is the study design? What were the results? Is there sufficient evidence to consider application of the topic/practice to promote health and well-being? Or Sufficient evidence to discourage use of therapy? Or insufficient data to either recommend or discourage the use of this topic?
- Nursing considerations related to patient support and education involving the use of complementary or alternative therapies: (one or two paragraphs)
Describe nursing considerations related to how a nurse can best support an individual who desires or is using a specific complementary or alternative therapy for their current health issue.
- Consider any issues related to assessing, planning, intervening, and evaluation.
- Describe any relevant aspects of patient education related to the use of complementary or alternative therapies with regards to their current disease, condition, or issue.
- References (no more than one page)