Nursing Concept Maps

Nursing students should always be aware of graphic tools that can improve their ability to identify goals in the caregiving process. More specifically, nursing students are typically required by their instructors to utilize nursing maps that can help them organize theoretical concepts in nursing practice. Nursing concept maps provide a strong visual representation of nursing concepts, which can make it easier for the student to integrate and grasp complex theories that they will encounter in the classroom. This aspect of nursing practice will require the student to understand the use of nursing concept maps as a graphical symbol of important theoretical exchanges that occur between the student and instructor.

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Concept Maps:

The nursing concept map provides a visual map of theoretical concepts in the form of a diagram. This type of visual organizer introduces a new theory or concept that is often interrelated to previous concepts taught in an educational environment. This graphical tool will provide a more concrete visual presentation of theories, which helps to clarify difficult concepts that would otherwise be communicated orally or in writing.

The application of concept mapping begins with a theoretical idea that can be further divided and subdivided into various parts for ease of comprehension. These conceptual divisions can be illustrated with circles, squares, etc. in association with interconnected lines to show conceptual interrelationships. This hierarchical method of showing interrelated ideas provides a conceptual map for the student to visually identify the various elements of a concept that are being presented by the instructor.

The Structure of Nursing Concept Maps:

The primary features of a nursing concept map are the greater ease of comprehension that it provides the nursing student:

• Arrowed lines provided a pointer to the various general and specific concepts that are being drawn on the concept map
• These interconnecting lines show the different elements of concept in the depiction of complex theoretical ideas
• In many cases, conceptual maps can also be used to help reinforce an already pre-existing awareness of concepts learned at an earlier time
• In a hierarchical manner, the most general ideas are usually placed at the top of the diagram with sub-topics placed below them in a descending order
• Provides a visual map that clarifies a mental image of theoretical concepts, and by also allowing room for additional concepts to visualized in a graphical context

The Purpose of Nursing Concept Maps:

The purpose of nursing concept maps is not only to clarify mental images of complex concepts but also to create a platform for greater creativity in the generation of ideas. Creativity is extremely important for nurses to implement new concepts that can help to improve the caregiving process. More so, nurses may also utilize a conceptual map to help navigate complex ideas involving nursing management or business-related practices:

• Applying conceptual maps to complex problems that may arise in at nursing staff meetings and other socially interactive formats
• Illustrating the interconnectivity of multiform ideas that arise for nursing practitioners
• By identifying the correlation between ideas from a wide variety of data sets
• Providing an opportunity for students to solidify their knowledge of complex concepts and theories
• By exposing missing information that can easily be inserted into the conceptual map

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