56548/41316 Clinical Decision-Making Reasoning and Judgement L6 Assessment Brief 2024-25

Assessment task details and instructions

You are required to complete a 2,500-word Client Focused Case study of a situation where the health status of a patient/client has changed significantly or deteriorated 

The purpose of this assessment is to encourage you to link theory with practice and demonstrate your ability to: 

• Critically analyse information from a wide range of relevant sources 
• Demonstrate evidence of originality in problem solving
• Provide a balanced discussion of the issues involved

Your Case Study should follow the following structure: 

1.Introduction

Identify a patient/client in whose care you have been involved, including a brief overview of the patient/client’s health problem, initial presentation and subsequent significant change or deterioration in health status. Explain the scope of the case study and include a confidentiality statement to indicate that any patient details have been anonymised (in observation of GPDR and NMC requirements). 

2.Main Body 

Develop the case study by critically discussing the patient’s alteration in health status, analysing patient data systematically and comparing interventions, taking current evidence-based practice into consideration. This should include evaluation and interpretation of observational and investigative data used to inform your plan of action and clinical decision making, reasoning and judgement based on patient changes, the situation and the working environment. Critically discuss your decision-making and justify your actions with supportive evidence. Discuss any continuing care needs including liaison with the MDT if relevant. Include a short paragraph evaluating the outcomes of the decisions that were taken, reflecting on your clinical decision-making strategies, reasoning and judgement in order to enhance your practice delivery in the future. 

3.Conclusion

 Briefly summarise what has already gone before and reiterate key points on how the processes of clinical decision making, reasoning and judgement, in the case study, were supported by objective evidence. 
 
All references cited in the assignment must appear in the reference list and cited as per University guidelines. (NB the reference list is not included in the word count).

Assessment Criteria

Marks for your assessment will be allocated based on a Level 6 Grade descriptors. The way the marks will be allocated are specifically laid out in the marking criteria under each section. The detailed marking descriptors are available on the module BB site within the assessment folder, alongside the assessment brief and supporting assessment guidance. 

You can find the Level 6 grade descriptors here Level 6 grade descriptors

You should look at this assessment criteria to find out what we are specifically looking for during the assessment.

Knowledge and Understanding

Assessed intended learning outcomes
On successful completion of this assessment, you will be able to:

1. Develop knowledge and understanding of anatomy and physiology that underpins the clinical assessment of their client group 
2. Detect and recognise deviations from the normal and understand their clinical significance 
3. Identify where health needs may be affected in the case of vulnerable patients/clients

Practical, Professional or Subject Specific Skills

1. Critically analyse and interpret findings from a range of client information 
2. Exercise clinical judgement, formulate an action plan based on the findings of the health needs assessment to: 

1. independently conduct health needs assessment for patients/clients within their specific clinical setting, with reference to universally accepted standards
2. display awareness of how effective interaction with the multi-disciplinary team can positively influence client care

critically discuss concepts of integrated care pathways, evidence-based practice, clinical effectiveness and clinical governance in relation to effectively responding to the health needs of their specific client group

Employability Skills developed / demonstrated

You will develop a range of employability skills sought by employers through each assessment.   

Through this assessment will have an opportunity to develop and demonstrate the following employability skills:

(please put a cross in the box for the skill and level demonstrated in the assessment)

I = You will have been introduced to this skill
U = You will have developed an understanding of this skill in the context of your subject
A = You will be able to apply this skill in the context of your subject
D = You will have demonstrated an enhanced understanding and application of this skill in a wider context

Reassessment

f you fail your assessment, and are eligible for reassessment, you will need to resubmit on or before 07/08//2025 no later than 16:00.

For students with accepted personal mitigating circumstances for absence/non submission, this will be your replacement assessment attempt.  

The reassessment assessment is the same as the original summative assessment task

We know that having to undergo a reassessment can be challenging however support is available.  Have a look at all the sources of support outlined earlier in this brief.