MindMapping...does anyone know how to make a template??

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Nov 1, 2006

are you sure you are not talking about concept mapping? i have also heard it called mini-mapping. i have two weblinks to information about concept mapping. i posted them to a thread where someone was asking about this yesterday. here is the link to that thread:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f205/concept-mapping-help-187355.html

two students posted concept maps on one of the links i posted there. you might try pming them to see what software they used to create their maps.

you can actually buy software to make concept maps in nursing. one program i know of is mosby's nursing concept map creator by bidden and kennedy. i believe it cost about $29. i actually have this software and have it loaded on my computer, but haven't used it. there is another program called microsoft visio which you could use to create these maps. we have it loaded on our computers at school in our health information management lab. we use it to create organizational charts. if your school has a health information management program you should at least ask to see if microsoft visio is loaded on their computers. the school's business department might have it on their computers as well. worth checking for. with visio you use excel to put words you want into designated cells. the excel file is then linked to visio which does the rest. some students told me that they had downloaded a trial version of the software on their home computers and were able to use that to create an organization chart. visio costs about $200 to buy.

organizational charts, which are nothing but boxes connected by lines, very similar to concept maps, can also be created on microsoft powerpoint software and microsoft excel. there is an organizational chart template that you have to have for powerpoint in order to do this with that particular program. again, check with your school. they might have this loaded into the software. i used the table commands in microsoft word to create my organizational charts. i just created a table with no gridlines and merged specific cells to make larger ones. i then made the connecting lines from the tools on the drawing toolbar. i had to have dashed lines connecting some of the boxes on my organizational chart and i was able to make them darker (larger fonts) so they stood out very nicely.

heather2084, BSN · Nov 1, 2006

http://www.inspiration.com

its a great software, thats free for 30 days. i think u can just keep downloading it after that if u still need it. It's what I use, it's simple, and easy, u can color it, change the shapes, link them, etc.... anyone can use it.

wildmountainchild · Nov 2, 2006

Microsoft Powerpoint. I make stellar concept maps using it. The added benefit is that almost everyone has it so if you want to share concept maps among your classmates you can e-mail them to one another. As mentioned above there is a template for an orgazational chart but don't use that. Start w/ a blank slide, click on the 'text box' icon on the bottom of the screen, type in the concept, left click on the border and highlight 'format textbox' to color and fill in the box. Arrows and lines are easy to draw.

It's great b/c you can highlight groups of things and move them as a group as needed to fit into the concept map. Is there a way I can attach a concept map here? That way I could show you what's possible.