Help with Concept Map!!

there is a "sticky" thread on the nursing student assistance forum specifically on care maps (concept maps) as care plans.

• https://allnurses.com/forums/f205/care-maps-225330.html - care maps (in nursing student assistance forum)

in that thread are links to a couple of sample concept maps that some other students posted on allnurses so you can see what a completed one looks like. did your instructors give you a specific format to use? there is one book on nursing concept mapping that i know of that you can buy

• concept mapping: a critical-thinking approach to care planning by pamela mchugh schuster, published by f.a. davis and costs about $26.

i have a copy of it and it explains in more depth what is on the cord.org website that two others have already given you a link to. the allnurses thread i gave you above has a link to an online nursing concept map constructor.

if you are still having trouble with this assignment, post to this thread the problems you are having, or you can pm me.

a concept map is just a visual representation of the critical thinking process you are going through in creating your care plan. all care plans, however follow the nursing process and begin with the assessment that you have made of your patient. the abnormal assessment data forms the foundation of everything you are going to end up doing for the patient. with a concept map you are going to be separating and listing these things out into boxes around a main central box that contains the admission diagnosis of the patient (the only time you actually use a medical diagnosis on this kind of care plan).

[evil]the steps of the nursing process (written care plan)

1. assessment (collect data)

   
   

2. nursing diagnosis (group your assessment data, shop and match your abnormal assessment data to likely nursing diagnoses, decide on the nursing diagnosis 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)

   
   

[/evil]

here are two other "stickies" on the nursing forums to help you with care planning.

• https://allnurses.com/forums/f205/desperately-need-help-careplans-170689.html - desperately need help with careplans (in nursing student assistance forum)
  
• 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)

please understand that a concept map is just a different physical presentation of a care plan that was designed to help you learn the critical thinking involved in putting all the needed elements together. you still have to perform all the above 5 steps i just listed. the most important steps in getting a care plan started are steps 1, 2, and 3 and where you will spend the most time.