Practice writing sub-test No.

008 for nursing

Read the case notes and complete the writing task which follows

Notes

Harry Kovacs is a 5 year old boy who is the son of one of your newly referred patients in the
community mental health centre where you are a mental health case manager.

Date of birth: 15 April 2006

Place of birth: Sydney Children’s Hospital, Sydney

School year: Kindergarten

Religion & ethnicity: Catholic & both parents Australian born Hungarian

Mother’s name: Elizabeth Kovacs

Mother’s community admission date: 16 May 2011

Diagnosis: Mother – Major depression with psychotic features

Son – ? Early onset separation anxiety disorder

Family/Psychosocial: * Elizabeth suffered PND – depressed since

*She sometimes hears voices calling her and sees ‘men’

running around her house – nil serious psychosis in
functional terms.

* Recently 1st psych admission for 6/52after high

lethality DSH attempt.

*Harry’s psychological status ok until DSH and

hospitalisation; after this +++ signs of separation
anxiety

*Father is self employed and works long hours 7/7. Rarely

sees Harry & dismissive of Harry’s emotional states, ‘He’s
like a bloody girl now!’ he told us.

*Harry loves soccer and playing with his dog, ‘Rusty’.

Medical History

Eczema

Serous otitis media – required grommets at 18 mths

Hearing NAD now.

Medication Nil meds

Case management care and progress:

* Elizabeth new to our area (from Parramatta) & referred to

us post D/C from Bankstown MH inpatient unit 2/52 ago
*We will provide her with long term MH case management.
*Harry now 1) cries and panics whenever Mum leaves his
sight 2) Socially withdrawn & refusing to attend
kindergarten 3) ↑ insomnia & nightmares 4) preoccupied
re Mum’s daily activities & that she might leave him again.
* This is greatly ↑pressure on Elizabeth when her MH
is already fragile.
* Father, John, uninterested in meeting in person or
discussing problems in detail.
*Harry attended initial assessment with Elizabeth and
separation anxiety behaviour very obvious

Referral plan: * Referral to early childhood mental health team for

assessment and management of Harry’s ? early onset
separation anxiety disorder.
*Request joint meeting with case manager and Elizabeth.

You are the Case Manager caring for Harry Kovac’s depressed mother but due to his psychological
issues need to write a referral for him to John Dyer, Clinical Psychologist on the Bankstown early
childhood mental health team at Bankstown Hospital.

In your answer:

 Expand the relevant notes into complete sentences

 Do not use note form
 Use letter format

The body of the letter should be approximately 180-200 words.