How to Write a Nursing Exemplar
Even though learning how to create a nursing exemplar for your assignment could initially appear challenging, everything becomes easier once you know the objective. As the name implies, the main aim is to describe a specific clinical scenario thoroughly.
When you know the issue and select a solution, you make predictions before your study begins. This blog may read more about the nursing exemplar, including its features and creation instructions.
Definition of a nursing exemplar
A nursing exemplar is a true-life patient tale delivered to demonstrate an RN’s experience. The sample is written in the first person. It goes into great depth on a specific clinical event, including the nurse’s thoughts, feelings, goals, actions, critical thinking, and decision-making process.
A clinical practice exemplar is a tale about your clinical practice that reveals something memorable, meaningful, or that comes to mind regularly. “It is a patient tale that reveals something relevant or meaningful to you and reflects your therapeutic practice.”
How to select a nursing exemplar
The nursing story chooses you. When a situation is rich with meaning, it sticks out in your memory. The narrative conveys important information or intentions, as well as your idea of outstanding practice or a flaw in practice. You remember these instances often because they stick out in your mind.
Writing a nursing exemplar
The steps below will show you how to write a nursing exemplar that stands out from the crowd.
Present it as a narrative account
Present the nursing exemplar as a narrative account. You may use the typically abbreviated telling of the nursing practice situation but write it in first- person.
Include oral reporting
The oral narration of the narrative may be beneficial because it is more natural to express ideas, feelings, and concerns. Several double-spaced, typewritten pages should be enough.
Get a coworker to read your work
Have a coworker read your account, ideally one who may have assisted in the patient’s treatment. This may aid in capturing the description you need and perhaps fill in any familiar details you may assume are given.
Edit your story
Avoid using summary statements or generic terms that don’t convey what happened when editing your story. Avoid phrases like “I examined the potential risks to the patient and took action to mitigate them,” “I provided emotional support,” and “The patient felt better.”
Instead, explain to the reader how you identified potential hazards, mitigated them, provided emotional support, and, when possible, provided actual outcomes.
Include dialogue
When possible, include dialogue to give the reader a first-person account of the incident as it develops. When you take a specific action, mention any worries you had or what you were hoping to happen. This offers your judgment a window.
Be confident
To protect confidentiality, change the patient’s name, age, family configuration, or other identifying information.
Creating nursing exemplars
Consider whether the narrative represents your existing practice before you begin. Write down as much of the narrative as you remember in as much detail as possible.
This is how to start:
Think about your work; list possible stories; tell a story in a group.
Start writing without worrying about spelling, grammar, wording, or sentence structure.
Elements to include in a nursing exemplar
A valuable tool for patient care is a nursing exemplar. Nursing care plans and doctor decisions are influenced by what the nurse documents. As a result, it is vital to make a top-notch nursing exemplar note. The following components must be present in a nursing exemplar essay.
Date and time
Date and time entry should come first in every nursing exemplar sample. This part of the note makes finding critical facts about an event easier and organizes the patient’s record.
Name of the patient
Some facilities require that the patient’s name appear on every entry. Others may require the patient’s name and room number to be put at the top or bottom of the page. To avoid documenting the wrong patient, each nurse must ensure that identifying information is on the patient’s chart.
Personal and objective data
Subjective data refers to information provided by the patient to the nurse. This information comprises the patient’s symptoms, amount of pain, thoughts, and concerns.
In contrast to subjective data, objective data is information gathered or observed by the nurse regarding the patient. Accurate data comprises the patient’s appearance, symptoms (grimacing in pain, gripping the wall due to dizziness), vital signs, and test results.
Assessment
This part of the nursing exemplar template may include a head-to-toe or a targeted assessment, depending on the reason for the evaluation. Nurses may discuss a patient’s recovery, vital signs, and problems in a post-operative nursing exemplar.
Interventions
Record every nursing intervention. For instance, it needs recording if you help someone turn and reposition themselves, offer instruction, or give them medicine.
Evaluation
After every nursing intervention, you should evaluate the patient’s response. The evaluation’s informational content will change depending on the patient’s state. It may be sufficient to state, “Patient reports pain medication relieved back discomfort,” when reviewing pain medications.
Elements to omit in a nursing exemplar
When creating a nursing exemplar note, omitting specific things is as essential as including pertinent information. This does not mean you should forget information about the patient’s condition, care, or treatment response.
The following are a few things you should not include in nursing exemplar papers.
Symptoms without intervention
When you describe symptoms (objective or subjective), you should provide intervention and follow-up. Do not record symptoms or patient complaints until you have documented the incident.
Speculations
You could believe that no one knows your patient as well as you do. Even if you may be familiar with him well, it is not the responsibility of nurses to make assumptions about a patient’s thoughts or feelings. As an alternative, focus on what the patient says and does while recording what you hear and see.
Terminology that isn’t descriptive or precise
The nursing exemplar should evoke an image or story in the reader’s imagination. As a result, accurate and detailed vocabulary is required. “Bladder incontinent; adult brief and bed pad changed due to incontinence moisture; peri-care administered; no skin integrity concerns.”
Untimely charting
It would be best if you never documented care until it is finished. This is significant because even the best-planned days might have unforeseen events that delay or impede treatment.
Family or friend information
When a friend or family member visits your patient, it is okay to note. You may write, “Pt. Alert, spouse and kids by the bedside, no complaints,” for example. To put personal information, such as whether someone was disrespectful to you or the patient or appeared inebriated, is never appropriate.
How to write a nursing exemplar
The following is a step-by-step guide to writing an excellent nursing exemplar.
Be concise and specific
Nursing examples are an excellent way to record comprehensive information about every facet of the patient’s condition and response to available treatments.
Give the facts
This is your chance to describe what you hear, see, feel, and do in the nursing exemplar example. While it’s essential to be thorough, don’t go overboard. Simply state the facts to keep it simple.
Presentation of notes
Before addressing any supplementary difficulties, it should pinpoint the patient’s main complaint or issue.
Take note of objective data
Vital indicators or elements you can visualize are examples of information.
Keep track of personal data
After you write down the facts, add the patient’s thoughts and feelings.
Expert tips for writing an excellent nursing exemplar
If you document patient care, there is no reason you should not write an exceptional nursing exemplar. The following tips will help you create an excellent nursing exemplar paper.
Immediately note nursing interventions
There is a higher likelihood of leaving out crucial information the longer there is a delay between nursing actions, assessments, and documentation.
Maintain descriptive documentation
The nursing narrative note should adequately state everything observed or reported to the nurse. Descriptive documentation decreases the possibility of information being misunderstood.
Be objective
Keeping an objective point of view when writing narrative nurses’ notes is essential. You can also report personal information, but the things you see (accurate data) are much more critical for making decisions.
Add additional information whenever it is necessary
Creating a nursing exemplar and signing it does not ensure your patient’s status or doctor’s order. Create a new record containing the date, time, and other relevant information whenever something new occurs.
Provide enough details to make your point
It can be necessary to write more extensive narrative nursing notes occasionally. Without writing an exemplar, present enough material to deliver the message and address the patient’s state, needs, treatment, and emotions.
Make confident that your handwriting is legible
This recommendation is especially crucial if your facility still employs paper notes. Remember that the patient’s chart can be used as a legal document. If anything regarding your patient’s care is ever questioned, you’ll want to ensure your records are readable so that information is not misunderstood.
What do you write in a nursing exemplar?
In a nutshell, you document everything you observe as a nurse and any essential medical information. In a detailed summary, the nursing exemplar gives information about how the patient feels, what they require, and what’s going on with their health.
When you put all the information together, ensure that everyone who needs to know about a patient’s treatment has quick and easy access to it.
A better submission
After writing your exemplar, have it reviewed by several persons (both clinical and non-clinical). Then, request that they describe your model in their own words. By doing this, you will be able to evaluate whether everything you tried to say was obvious and straightforward to understand.
Make sure to spellcheck and grammar check your nursing exemplar. Remember that you are submitting your chapter for an award, so make it outstanding!
Nursing exemplars to support student writing
Sometimes, professors’ explanations of writing principles and ideas do not go as intended. Some students may struggle to understand the concepts mentioned or require more guidance. Depending on the size of the class and the necessary level of assistance, this may not always be achievable.
This is when a nursing exemplar might come in handy. A model can be a helpful tool in assisting a student in grasping crucial concepts and abilities, as well as evaluation requirements. As we all know, for learning to be effective, students must have a genuine connection to the material being taught.
Exemplars contribute to the strengthening of that bond. Annotating the exemplar can help students by demystifying the process, making implicit what professionals know, and presenting a model to aspire for. There will be notes highlighting the essential elements.
Students gain from not only seeing but also deconstructing exemplar responses. In conclusion, consider using annotated exemplars to assist your students with their writing assignments.
Final thoughts
Developing outstanding nursing exemplars is one of the most crucial things you can accomplish. We decided to address the issue of how to write a nursing exemplar for that reason.
You can produce a top-notch, expert nurses’ exemplar using the examples and writing instructions provided in this article. Keep in mind that it is always preferable to document excessively than insufficiently.
