Concept Map Nursing Template

What is a Nursing Concept Map Template?

A Nursing Concept Map Template is a visual representation that organizes complex information, interrelationships, and connections between various nursing concepts, patient data, and healthcare interventions. It illustrates the holistic understanding of a patient's health condition, nursing care plans, and the relationships between different elements in the healthcare process.

A concept map in nursing embodies the integration of critical thinking, clinical judgment, and nursing knowledge. A basic nursing concept map typically starts with a central concept, often the patient's health concern or medical diagnosis, surrounded by interconnected nodes representing related concepts. These nodes include patient assessments, medical history, symptoms, nursing interventions, and expected outcomes.

The map visually depicts the relationships between these components through lines or arrows, showcasing their cause-and-effect associations, dependencies, or influences. This visual representation not only aids in organizing information but also facilitates analysis, decision-making, and prioritization in nursing care. Nurses use concept maps to provide a holistic view of the patient's needs, guiding nurses in developing individualized care plans tailored to address specific health concerns and promote patient wellness.

How do you create a nursing concept map?

Creating a nursing concept map involves a structured process to organize and visualize the structures and relationships between various elements of patient care. Here's a step-by-step guide to incorporating the nursing concept map into your clinical practice:

Step 1: Download the Nursing Concept Map Template

Download your free resource from Carepatron's template library and either digitally fill in the relevant information or easily print the concept map nursing PDF for handwritten note-taking. Refer to our nursing concept map example to see what it looks like.

Step 2: Identify the central concept or patient problems

Start by determining the central focus of your nursing concept map. This could be a patient's health concerns, the appropriate nursing diagnoses, or a specific aspect of care you want to address.

Step 3: Gather information

Collect relevant data and information related to the central concept. Identify and list the key components or concepts associated with the central focus. These could include signs and symptoms, risk factors, nursing interventions, and patient education.

Step 4: Review and update

Review the concept map for accuracy, coherence, and completeness. Ensure that the relationships and connections accurately represent the patient's condition and the planned nursing interventions. Continuously assess and update the concept map as the patient's condition changes or new information becomes available.  

When would you use this concept map nursing template?

Concept maps showcase the integration of theory and practical application, which is particularly beneficial for learners seeking an alternative learning model to the ones typically taught. Nursing concept maps are beneficial tools used in nursing practice such as the following:

Patient care planning

A nursing concept map assists nurses in organizing and understanding patient data, making it easier to create comprehensive care plans.

Education and learning

In nursing school, nursing students utilize concept maps to grasp complex nursing theories, diseases, treatments, and relationships between different concepts.

When looking at the effect of concept mapping on biochemistry students, results show that students who engaged with an innovative program using concept mapping soared above their peers in a didactic program. Not only did the students using concept maps outperform the others, but they also preferred this new learning option over the traditional course (Surapaneni & Tekian, 2013).

Communication

Concept mapping can be a visual aid when communicating patient information among healthcare professionals, ensuring everyone is on the same page regarding a patient's care plan.

Critical thinking

Concept maps encourage critical thinking and problem-solving, allowing the nursing student to analyze connections between various aspects and facets of patient care.

Reference

Surapaneni, K., & Tekian, A. (2013). Concept mapping enhances learning of biochemistry. Medical Education Online, 18(1), 20157. https://doi.org/10.3402/meo.v18i0.20157