Unfolding Case Studies for Nursing Leadership

Background: The education of nursing students has changed radically during the COVID-19 pandemic, with more content being delivered virtually. With less face-to-face (F2F) contact with educators, content translation to real-world scenarios is diminished. Objective: To determine if an educational seminar using unfolding case studies will improve students' understanding of concepts. Method: A pilot study of senior-level nursing students of an intensive unfolding case study application was conducted to focus on concept application. Results: Pre- and post-tests were compared with the increase in understanding of the focused topics, delegation, advanced directives, and safety, which was statistically significant (t[55] = 6.92, p < .001). Conclusion: Using real-world clinical problems through case studies facilitates understanding concepts and developing critical thinking skills/problem-solving abilities. The results of this study provide an impetus for the use of unfolding case studies to help nursing students understand leadership concepts.