Stop spending hours prepping.

Start teaching nursing the way it’s actually practiced.

Get immediate access to classroom-ready case studies that engage students and build clinical judgment for safe practice.

See How It Works

Trusted by 1,500+ nurse educators and 190+ programs
Plans start at $147/year

Can you relate?

Educators are stretched thin — juggling lectures, clinicals, meetings, and endless demands
There’s little time to design learning that truly prepares students for bedside practice
Students are overwhelmed — stressed, disengaged, and focused on “just passing”

And in clinical?

Students don’t know what to prioritize
Students struggle to apply what they’ve learned

It doesn’t have to be this hard to prepare students for real-world nursing practice.

Built by a Nurse Educator—For Nurse Educators

After 25 years in the ICU and ED, Keith stepped into the classroom and saw the gap immediately:

Nursing wasn’t being taught the way it’s practiced.

Students could memorize content and pass tests, but struggled to prioritize, recognize deterioration, and think clinically.

So Keith created authentic unfolding case studies from his nursing practice to prepare students for safe patient care.

That work became Think Like a Nurse.

Today, 1,500+ educators across 190+ nursing programs use these tools to build clinical judgment.

Read Full Story

Students were buried in multipage care plans filled with precisely worded, three-part NANDA statements, something I never used at the bedside.

Classroom learning relied on hour after hour of regurgitated textbook slides, leaving no room for active learning or meaningful engagement.

And above all, NCLEX success was prioritized over actual practice readiness.

I thought there might be a way to simultaneously engage students, prepare them for real-world clinical practice, and lighten my load.

I began designing unfolding case studies through my lens of current clinical practice, helping students practice the thinking nurses use every day.

That first case study I wrote for my students became the foundation for what is now the Think Like a Nurse Membership.

WHAT IS THINK LIKE A NURSE?

Think Like a Nurse is a complete curricular solution designed to develop clinical judgment—without you spending hours creating learning activities from scratch.

Each clinical reasoning case study is a realistic, unfolding simulation that develops clinical judgment.

Practice Dilemmas are a distinct set of case studies that use ethical challenges to shape professional identity and behavior.

Together, they prepare students for real-world nursing practice.

Here’s what you get:

Authentic unfolding case studies based on real patient scenarios—not AI-generated content
Assessment images & links to heart/breath sounds that simulate clinical practice.
KeithRN Clinical Judgment Rubric—adapted from Lasater’s to measure clinical judgment using KeithRN case studies
Peer-reviewed answer keys so you can confidently facilitate discussion
Ready-to-use case-based PowerPoints that are classroom-ready
Student templates with free access—no fees or access codes

Built on Tanner’s Clinical Judgment Model, Think Like a Nurse aligns with NextGen NCLEX® and is grounded in nursing education research on clinical judgment and case-based learning.

(See references at the bottom of page)

The Case for Case-Based Learning

Why case studies are foundational to developing clinical judgment.

Mirror clinical practice.
Unfolding cases reflect how nurses think, prioritize, and act at the bedside.
Develop clinical judgment through repeated practice.
Students assess, decide, and reflect—practicing the thinking required in practice.
Integrate knowledge, judgment, and professional behavior.
Case-based learning connects clinical reasoning, communication, and ethical practice.
Prepare students for real-world practice.
Practice readiness improves—and exam/NCLEX success follows as a result of putting first things first.

Traditional Teaching vs. Case-Based Learning

Traditional Teaching

(Content-First Teaching)

Focuses on memorization
Teaches concepts in isolation
Multiple-choice driven
Students learn what to memorize
Exam success ≠ practice readiness

Case-Based Learning

(Think Like a Nurse)

Develops clinical judgment
Integrates assessment, reasoning, and action
Open-ended clinical decision-making
Students learn how to think
Prepares students for bedside practice and the NCLEX®

Student Access Is Free—By Design

Because meaningful learning shouldn’t be limited by student seat counts or access codes.

Faculty guide clinical judgment, while students access every case study at no additional cost.

Join Think Like a Nurse

Here’s How it Works

Step 1. Choose a case study for your next class.

Step 2. Teach with confidence using the answer key and ready-to-go slides.

Step 3. Share the student link—free access included.

Authentic Scenarios: Help learners notice what matters most and make sense of it—no prompts, no multiple-choice.

Immerse students in clinical– listen to heart tones and interpret authentic assessment images.

EMR-Style Lab Panels: Students identify critical labs, interpret what’s abnormal, and track trends over time.

NEW Lab Planning-Medical Management: Learners identify the priority problem and develop a deeper understanding of medical management.

Plan of Care & Discharge Thinking: Students prioritize care, educate patients, and determine discharge readiness.

KRN Clinical Judgment Rubric (CJR): Measure clinical judgment with a case-based rubric adapted from Lasater’s CJR.

Patho Learning Activity: Use as a ticket to class or clinical activity to connect patho to assessment, labs, and pharm.

That’s it. You’re ready to teach clinical judgment.

WHAT EDUCATORS ARE SAYING

“
The Think Like a Nurse membership gives me ready-to-use tools I can trust. My students are challenged and learning, and I finally have support that fits my busy schedule.
– Christie Cavello, EdD, RN, CNE, CNEcl

“
KeithRN clinical reasoning case studies made our NCLEX review fun and engaging — no more death by PowerPoint. My students are thinking like nurses!
– Joy Kimbrell, RN, MSN

“
Since using KeithRN clinical reasoning case studies, our entire program turned around — and we've had 100% NCLEX pass rates three years running. Your Think Like a Nurse membership is a game-changer.
– Hutch Hutchinson, RN, BSN, Program Director

Recommended by Nursing Programs

Concordia University

St. Paul, MN

Mid Michigan College

Harrison, Michigan

Cuyahoga Community College

Cleveland, Ohio

Morton College

Cicero, Illinois

Lone Star College

Kingwood, Texas

Pennsylvania Institute of Technology

Media, Pennsylvania

East Central University

Ada, Oklahoma

Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School

Bourne, Massachusetts

Chamberlain University

Jacksonville, Florida

Central Carolina Community College

Pittsboro, North Carolina

Southern Maine Community College

Portland, Maine

Southeast Community College

Lincoln, Nebraska

Choose Your Level of Access

Course Case Bundles

Practice-Ready

Starting at $147/ year

Designed for teaching a single course with classroom-ready case studies.

What’s Included:

Unfolding case studies across key course topics
Multiple levels of complexity
Answer key + PowerPoint slides
Free student access

Get Started

Individual All-Access

30-DAY MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE

No risk. No questions. Full refund within 30 days.
Join Think Like a Nurse Today

NOT READY YET? TRY IT FREE.

Get a free demo case study and sample tools — no credit card required.

See how Think Like a Nurse works before you commit.

Access Free Demo Case & Active Learning Tools

Frequently Asked Questions

– General Questions

Do you have case studies for my course?

Yes! We cover PN/VN, ADN, and BSN programs. Check out our curriculum map to see what topics are available for your course. View Course Case Bundles

How do students access the materials?

You share a secure link. Students can view the case but can’t download it (protects academic integrity). They download a blank template to record their answers.

Can I download or share the cases?

No. Cases are embedded to protect the content. You can’t share them with non-member faculty — that’s in the terms.

Is this aligned with NextGen NCLEX?

100%. All cases are built on Tanner’s Clinical Judgment Model, which aligns with the NCSBN model. Your students will be ready for NextGen and real-world practice.

Do you add new content?

Yes! New case studies, tools, and webinars are added every 1-2 months.

What's the difference between Skinny, NextGen, Practice Dilemmas and Unfolding cases?

Skinny/NextGen: Great for classroom use and beginning students. Shorter, focused scenarios.
Unfolding: Best for advanced students and clinical replacement activities. More complex, realistic unfolding progression.
Practice Dilemmas are concise case studies built around common ethical challenges—such as spiritual distress, medical futility, and incivility—that help students develop professional identity and behavior.

Do you offer CE credit?

Yes! Webinars and courses include CEs for faculty development.

How fast will I get access?

Within 24 hours (we manually approve to make sure students don’t accidentally get faculty resources). Weekend sign-ups are approved on Mondays.

What's your refund policy?

30-day money-back guarantee. If it’s not a fit, just cancel and contact support within 30 days.

When is support available?

Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm Central. We usually reply within 1–2 business days.

– Department & Program Purchase Questions

How do departmental seats work?

It’s a seat-based annual license. You choose how many faculty need access, and we set it up. You can add or remove faculty during the year through your admin or our helpdesk.

How do I onboard my faculty?

We send instructions to your admin and each faculty member. They register with their nurse license number, and we approve them within 24 hours.

Do students need their own accounts?

Nope. Faculty share secure links with students — no paid student accounts needed.

Do you accept purchase orders?

Yes! We accept POs, provide invoicing, W-9s, and all the procurement docs you need. Just contact support.

Still Have Questions?
Send us a message.

Ready to teach the way nursing is actually practiced?

Stop prepping for hours. Start building clinical judgment.

Join 1,500+ educators using Think Like a Nurse to save time, engage students, and prepare them for the bedside—not just the next test.

Join Think Like a Nurse Today

Think Like a Nurse is brought to you by KeithRN — a nurse educator on a mission to reform nursing education by putting first things first, preparing students for practice.

References

Benner, P., Sutphen, M., Leonard, V., & Day, L. (2010). Educating nurses: A call for radical transformation. Jossey-Bass.
Hong, S. & Yu, P. (2017). Comparison of the effectiveness of two styles of case-based learning implemented in lectures for developing nursing students’ critical thinking ability: A randomized controlled trial, International Journal of Nursing Studies, 68, 16–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2016.12.008
Jessee, M. A. (2021). An update on clinical judgment in nursing and implications for education, practice, and regulation. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 12(3), 50-60.
Kavanagh, J.M., Sharpnack, P.A., (January 31, 2021) Crisis in Competency: A Defining Moment in Nursing Education, OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Vol. 26, No. 1, Manuscript 2. https://ojin.nursingworld.org/table-of-contents/volume-26-2021/number-1-january-2021/crisis-in-competency-a-defining-moment-in-nursing-education/#:~:text=Citation%3A%20Kavanagh%2C%20J.M.%2C%20Sharpnack%2C%20P.A.%2C,of%20Issues%20in%20Nursing%20Vol.&text=1%2C%20Manuscript%202
McLean S. F. (2016). Case-Based Learning and its Application in Medical and Health-Care Fields: A Review of Worldwide Literature. Journal of medical education and curricular development, 3, JMECD.S20377. https://doi.org/10.4137/JMECD.S20377
Marcomini, I., Terzoni, S., & Destrebecq, A. (2021). Teaching strategies and tools for ensuring safe and quality care: A scoping review. Nursing Education Perspectives, 42(6), 339-343.
Nielsen, A., Gonzalez, L., Jessee, M. A., Monagle, J., Dickison, P., & Lasater, K. (2023). Current practices for teaching clinical judgment.
Nurse Educator, 48(1), 7–12. https://doi.org/10.1097/nne.0000000000001268
Tanner, C. A. (2006). Thinking like a nurse: A research-based model of clinical judgment in nursing. Journal of Nursing Education, 45(6), 204–211.