Concept Maps?

here is the website for inspiration software: http://www.inspiration.com/

concept maps can also be created on microsoft visio software and on microsoft powerpoint if it has the correct template added to it.

mosby has this cd program you can purchase: mosby's nursing concept map creator by giddens and kennedy for about $30. if i recall, you have a choice of shapes you can use for your boxes. i don't much care for the colors--too pastel for me. i've created all kinds of pictures in excel and word using the drawing toolbar. there are a number of shapes in that toolbar that you can create and then just type text inside them. you can connect the shapes with lines and lines with arrows that are on the same toolbar. the nice thing about using excel is that it will automatically reduce everything to fit on one page when you format it to print.

all you do is click on the link and it will take you to the website. read the directions on how to use the software. there is a new sticky on the nursing student assistance forum on care maps:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f205/care-maps-225330.html. there are links there to information on what a concept map is and how to put one together. if you are being required to do this for school, you should also have class notes on how your instructors want you to set your concept maps up. didn't they give you a template to use as an example?

hi, kdragonsoul19, and welcome to allnurses! :welcome:

this is an older thread and i hope you did look at some of the links and files that were posted on it to help you out. a concept map is just another physical way of presenting (documenting) the nursing process (problem solving process). there is now a sticky thread on the nursing student assistance forum that has a better collection of weblinks and examples of concept maps that you can explore. you are still writing a care plan, but are just presenting it is a concept map or care map format is all. here is a link to that thread you will want to look at:

• https://allnurses.com/forums/f205/care-maps-225330.html - care maps

there is also information on writing care plans on these two threads:

• https://allnurses.com/forums/f205/desperately-need-help-careplans-170689.html - desperately need help with careplans (in nursing student assistance forum) - post #109 has the list of ackley/ladwig links to nursing diagnosis pages
  
• https://allnurses.com/forums/f50/careplans-help-please-r-t-aeb-121128-7.html - careplans help please! (with the r\t and aeb) (in general nursing student discussion forum)
  

you are being asked to create a care plan for a hypothetical patient in pain and present it in the form of a concept map (care map). you still need to follow the steps of the nursing process to do this:

1. assessment (collect data from medical record, do a physical assessment of the patient, assess adl's, look up information about your patient's medical diseases/conditions to learn about the signs and symptoms and pathophysiology)
   
2. determination of the patient's problem(s)/nursing diagnosis (make a list of the abnormal assessment data, match your abnormal assessment data to likely nursing diagnoses, decide on the nursing diagnoses to use)
   
3. planning (write measurable goals/outcomes and nursing interventions)
   
4. implementation (initiate the care plan)
   
5. evaluation (determine if goals/outcomes have been met)
   

this post has some information on the pathophysiology of pain:

• https://allnurses.com/forums/f205/difference-between-neuromodulators-neurotransmitters-266627.html

you need to develop a set of signs and symptoms of pain that you would see in the hypothetical patient that you create for this assignment. these signs and symptoms of pain will be in accord with the pathophysiology. patient care is often based upon treating the signs and symptoms. this will be shown very clearly on the concept map.

you will use this care plan as a template for future care plans where you will have patients with a nursing diagnosis of pain, so you will want to start of notebook of these care maps. you may want to swap and share with other students in your class.

there is a sticky thread on the nursing student assistance forum that has information on concept maps including examples of several patient care maps plus links to a care map constructor:

• https://allnurses.com/forums/f205/care-maps-225330.html - care maps

if you need more information on the process of wreiting a care plan, see

• https://allnurses.com/forums/f50/help-care-plans-286986.html - assistance - help with care plans