HS 323 case studies
HS 323 · Put your knowledge to work in context.
HS 323 is a health sciences examination built around eight practice domains: professional foundations and standards, anatomy and physiology with pathophysiology, patient assessment and clinical data interpretation, care planning and intervention, safety and infection control, communication and ethics with legal responsibilities, health information management and documentation, and population health and prevention. It suits candidates who need to demonstrate a broad, applied working knowledge of clinical practice rather than a narrow specialty focus - for example, students or practitioners moving into roles that require them to read a patient's condition, plan and justify care, document it accurately, and reason about safety and consent. The HS 323 case studies are 5 cases and about 4,417 words.
1Floated to an Unfamiliar Unit: Titratable Drip, Trach, and a Fifth Patient
You are an RN with 14 months of experience on a 32-bed medical-surgical unit. Ten minutes into your shift, the house supervisor floats you to the 10-bed cardiac step-down unit, where you have never worked.
831 words, about 4 min2Vomiting, NG Suction, and 'Therapeutic' Digoxin: Reading the Electrolytes
A., 63, has been admitted for four days of persistent vomiting followed by nasogastric suction for a small-bowel obstruction. He takes digoxin 0.125 mg daily for atrial fibrillation and furosemide 40 mg daily for heart failure.
741 words, about 4 min3Postoperative Day 2: Falling MAP, Rising Lactate, and a Reassuring Resident
L., 71, is postoperative day 2 after an open right hemicolectomy. At 0700: temperature 37.8 °C, HR 88, BP 132/78, RR 16, SpO2 96% on room air, alert and oriented.
837 words, about 4 min4Needlestick After Recapping: PEP Timing, Source Testing, and Consent
You are the night-shift RN on a medical unit. After administering 2 g of IV cefazolin through a peripheral IV, you attempt to recap the needle and it punctures the pad of your left index finger.
977 words, about 5 min5A Leg Amputation, a Daughter With Power of Attorney, and One Sentence From the Patient
K., 78, was admitted with a gangrenous right foot and sepsis. He speaks Cantonese and has limited English; his daughter, Mei, holds his durable power of attorney for health care and has interpreted for him at every appointment for years.
1,031 words, about 5 min