Speaking in Nursing and Allied Health Courses

Speaking assignments in nursing and allied health courses—physical therapy, occupational therapy, radiology, pharmacy, and other areas of health care—range from the service learning presentation, poster presentation, and review of academic articles to the evidence-based practice presentation, clinical case study, quality improvement proposal, case conference, and shift report (see the following sections).9 Students are assigned a mix of individual and team presentations.

Evidence-Based Practice Presentation

The evidence-based practice (EBP) presentation reviews the scientific literature on a clinical problem, critically evaluates the findings, and suggests best practices for standards of care. To fulfill these criteria, EBP presentations do the following:

  1. Define the research problem (e.g., the clinical issue)
  2. Critically review the scientific literature on a practice related to the clinical issue, describing method/design, sample size, and reliability
  3. Discuss the strength of the evidence and indicate whether or not the practice should be adopted into clinical practice.10

Clinical Case Study Presentation

A clinical case study is a detailed analysis of a person or group with a particular disease or condition. Clinical case studies inform medical teams or other audiences about the following:

  1. Overview of patient information (presentation and background)
  2. Description of pretreatment workup, including results
  3. Review of treatment options/plan of care
  4. Outcome of treatment plan
  5. Surveillance plan (follow-up patient care based on evidence-based practice)

Quality Improvement Proposal

In the quality improvement proposal, the speaker recommends the adoption of a new (or modified) health practice or policy, such as introducing an improved treatment regimen at a burn center. This report (sometimes assigned as part of a capstone course) addresses the following:

  1. Review of existing practice
  2. Description of proposed quality improvement
  3. Review of the scientific literature on the proposed practice
  4. Plan of action for implementation

Treatment Plan Reports

The ability to communicate information about patients or clients is important for all health care providers. Either individually or as part of a health care team, people in the helping professions often report patients’ conditions and outline plans of treatment to other health care providers. One form of treatment plan report, called the case conference, includes the following:

  1. Description of patient status
  2. Explanation of the disease process
  3. Steps in the treatment regimen
  4. Goals for patient and family
  5. Plans for patient’s care at home
  6. Review of financial needs
  7. Assessment of resources available

The shift report is a concise overview of the patient’s status and needs, delivered to the oncoming caregiver. It includes the following information:

  1. Patient name, location, and reason for care
  2. Current physical status
  3. Day on clinical pathway for particular diagnosis
  4. Pertinent psychosocial data, including plans for discharge and involvement of caregivers
  5. Care needs (physical, hygiene, activity, medication, nutritional needs)

Preparing Effective Presentations in Nursing and Allied Health Courses

Good presentations in health-related courses communicate scientific knowledge while reviewing the patient’s clinical status and potential treatment options. The presenter will support any assertions and recommendations with relevant scientific literature supporting evidence-based clinical practice. Instructors will expect you to do the following:

  1. Use evidence-based guidelines.
  2. Demonstrate a solid grasp of the relevant scientific data.
  3. Organize the presentation in order of severity of patient problems.
  4. Present the patient as well as the illness. That is, remember that the patient is not merely a collection of symptoms, but a human being, and present him or her as such.
  5. Include only essential facts, but be prepared to answer any questions about all aspects of the patient and care.