Free Nursing Case StudY EXAMPLES from nursing.com

Engaging Nursing Case Studies Build Critical Thinking

59 unfolding nursing case studies with answers developed by practicing ED/ICU nurses that improve critical thinking.
The perfect solution for "low fidelity" clinical replacement.

Introducing: Free Tool For Nurse Educators

Create engaging, evidence-based case studies in seconds – tailored for nurse educators to inspire critical thinking and clinical excellence . . . with ONE CLICK.

View one of our top nursing case studies

Click on a case study below to view in our Nursing Case Study Examples course which holds all of our 40+ nursing case studies with answers.

Acute Kidney Injury Nursing Case Study

Cardiogenic Shock Nursing Case Study

Breast Cancer Nursing Case Study

Respiratory Nursing Case Study

More Popular Case Studies

"I would actually do these for fun . . . the best way to learn and practice critical thinking!"

What makes NURSING.com case studies unique?

59 Lessons

The nursing case studies account for over 37 hours of virtual clinical time. Each case study outlines anticipated completion time.

Practicing Nurses

All case studies are created by practicing ED/ICU nurses with Masters Degrees (like all NURSING.com content).

Critical Thinking

Each case study includes 6+ "Critical Thinking Checks" that require high level analysis by the student.

Bloom's Taxonomy

Included with Critical Thinking Checks are Bloom's Taxonomy levels so educators and students know where to focus thinking.

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Case studies build clinical thinking.
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How to use NURSING.com nursing case study examples?

The case studies are intended to be used as a "low fidelity" replacement for clinical activities or as an exercise to improve nursing students ability to "think like a nurse".

**During this meeting, the clinical instructor can review the case study and answers with the groups. Utilizing the "Critical Thinking Check" and Bloom's Taxonomy Levels, the students and the instructor will quickly spot areas for improvement in thought and actions.

6 Steps to Replace Clinical Using Case Studies

1. Watch the intro video as a group

Gather the entire class together and view the intro video. This video lays out the scenario for the given case study and helps them begin to consider the disease process.

2. Complete the first "Critical thinking check"

After watching a scenario, the class will see a "Critical Thinking Check" these are questions with assigned Bloom's Taxonomy levels and are meant to be challenging - all are written by practicing ED/ICU nurses and introduce the student to "real-life" nursing scenarios.

3. Review "critical thinking check" rationales

Each "Critical Thinking Check" provides a detailed rationale to help the student truly UNDERSTAND what they are learning. This helps the information stick.

4. Watch the unfolding case study video

The case study will now unfold and the situation will progress just as it would in "real-life".

5. Take the post lesson quiz

After completing the full case study (this should take about 30-60 min) the student should take the post lesson quiz. These quizzes are designed to cover the disease process - not the case study - this is designed to evaluate overall understanding of the given disease.

6. Review Attached study tools

Each nursing case study lesson includes various study tools. These act as visual learning elements for the visual leaner. Nursing is REAL-LIFE - it's not just textbooks. Study tools help to connect what is read and viewed to something tangible and real.

View ALL Nursing Case Studies

What are nursing case studies?

Nursing case studies are unfolding clinical scenarios that help nursing students develop critical thinking. NURSING.com case studies provide “real-world” examples for nursing students to practice their nursing judgement in a safe environment.

How do I write a nursing case study?

Nursing case studies are pretty complicated to write. At NURSING.com, our case studies are written by practicing nurses with advanced degrees who have direct patient care experience taking care of those with the specific disease process. This gives the nursing student assurance that they are highly realistic.

What are unfolding nursing case studies?

Unfolding means that the case study progresses via a developing scenario. The nursing student is given assessment data and asked to developing a nursing care plan – the case study then progresses (or unfolds) with new information and the student must adapt their plan . . . sound like the nursing processes?!

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What are nursing case studies?

Nursing case studies are real-world clinical scenarios used to help nursing students apply critical thinking and improve their clinical judgment. They simulate patient situations and guide you through assessments, interventions, and outcomes.

How can case studies help me in nursing school?

Case studies help you develop clinical reasoning by walking you through real scenarios you’ll face on exams and in practice. They’re a proven way to strengthen critical thinking and connect theory to practice.

Are these case studies free?

Yes, all of the nursing case studies on this page are free to access. You can start using them right away to improve your clinical judgment.

What’s the best way to use these case studies?

Start by reading the full scenario. Then go through the guided questions to think through your decisions like a nurse would. If you want a full plan for nursing school success, explore our Survival Packages.

Do the case studies include NGN-style questions?

Many case studies are built with Next Gen NCLEX (NGN) formats in mind — including unfolding scenarios and clinical judgment models to help you prep for test day.

Can I access these case studies as part of the Survival Packages?

Yes! The Nursing School and Lifetime Survival Packages include these case studies plus full courses, quizzes, Flash Notes™, and everything else you need to pass.