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Vol. 21 No. 4
Concept Mapping: An Effective Strategy for
Clinical Teaching in Nursing
The clinical practice component of nursing education is a dynamic, constantly changing, real-life
environment in which nursing students have to integrate theoretical knowledge into practice based on the nursing
process. Critical thinking is a core competency of baccalaureate nursing education. Concept mapping is an active
learning and teaching which helps nurse educators to develop critical thinking and problem solving.1 It has been
suggested as a learning strategy to encourage nursing students to think critically
2
as it stimulates the use of
thinking skills such as analysis, inference, and evaluation, thus encouraging the development of critical
thinking.3,4 This article plays a key role as a clinical teaching strategy among baccalaureate nursing students.
Concept mapping
Thirty years ago, Novak and Godwin developed concept maps based upon Ausubel’s assimilation theory
within meaningful theory in 1984.
5, 6,7
Novak promoted meaningful learning by creating concept mapping to represent
an ideational framework specific to knowledge domain. Concept mapping involves making diagrams showing
the relationships between concepts, which are connected with labelled arrows, in a downward-branching
hierarchical structure.6 Steps in a concept mapping process in health include 1) selecting the client and analyzing
their data 2) identifying and placing the main concept at the top of the map, 3) identifying sub-concepts 4) tying
the main and sub-concepts together with linking words that have meaning, 5) looking for cross-linkages between
the main and sub-concepts, and 6) discussing, sharing, thinking about, and revising. At present, concept mapping
can be created
by CampTools, software that is available at no cost on http://cmap.inmc.us.
7
In healthcare education,
especially nursing,
several researchers have found that concept mapping is a powerful strategy to promote
meaningful learning. 6,7
Concept mapping and critical thinking
Critical thinking is an essential competency for professional nursing practice in baccalaureate education.1
Appropriate critical thinking is necessary for today’s nurses in making decisions that improve the quality of
nursing care.8 Among several strategies that promote critical thinking skills in nursing students, concept mapping
has been used in all levels of nursing education. This mapping not only allow nursing faculty to evaluate the
students’ understanding of the complex patient care needs, but also promotes critical thinking in clinical
setting.9,10
Concept mapping in clinical teaching
In 2012, Sinatra-Wilhelm supported that the concept mapping technique enables critical thinking skills in
nursing students with a study comparing the impact of using nursing care plans and concept mapping on enhancing
critical thinking skills among sophomore baccalaureate nursing students in medical-surgical clinical rotations.
The research tool was The California Critical Thinking Skills Test. The findings confirmed that the concept
mapping technique can improve critical thinking skills in the clinical practice better than a nursing care plan does.11
In a recent study, achievement in teaching was demonstrated using a case study method combined with
concept mapping to work on the ability development of nursing process in clinical settings among nursing
students, compared with using nursing care plans.12 The findings showed that this concept mapping strategy was
superior in improving the students' ability development of the nursing process. Moreover the students had high
satisfaction levels due of an increase in their critical thinking, active learning, and clinical problem solving.
12
