Concept maps are to be HANDWRITTEN or created within Microsoft Word using the

attached directions (does not have to be color). Review the grading rubric prior to
completing the concept map.

How to Make a Nursing Concept Map

By Ngozi Oguejiofo (modified by Dr Rushing)
A concept map is a visual representation of the relationships among concepts and ideas. The
concepts are represented by boxes and linked with lines. In nursing, concept maps are used to
organize and link information about a patient's health problems. This allows the nurse to see
relationships among her patient's problems and helps her plan interventions that may address
more than one problem. I want to see that you know what assessment data, medications, labs, etc
correlates to the main nursing diagnosis you have chosen!

Instructions for Concept Map

1. Develop parameters for your map based on the grading rubric. The concepts are:
pathophysiology & etiology, nursing diagnoses, history, physical assessments,
medications, labs, list of 3 nursing diagnosis that are prioritized (you will only do concept
map on the main nursing diagnosis), goal(s), interventions (must include 1 educational
intervention), and evaluation.
2. Demonstrate the links between the concepts with either dotted, dashed, or colored lines.
3. During clinical, gather your information. Collect information about your patient's health
problems from your patient or someone who is close to him and perform physical
examination. Review his medical record for health history, medications, relevant labs,
then organize and analyze your information. List 3 main nursing diagnosis for your
patient. You will only do the concept map on the main nursing diagnosis!
4. Identify your priority nursing assessments. Find out what the patient's most important
health problems are and write them down. These should be the most troubling signs and
symptoms of his medical diagnosis. Next, draw a box at the top of your paper and fill it
with your patient's medical diagnosis and priority nursing assessments.
5. Formulate your nursing diagnoses. Identify actual and potential health problems, and then
write three priority nursing diagnoses at the bottom of paper. Write down supporting data
for your main nursing diagnoses.
6. Develop a plan of care for the main nursing diagnosis. Write down expected outcomes.
Write down the nursing interventions needed to reach each expected outcome. Draw
boxes label each one with an expected outcome that corresponds to the nursing diagnosis.
Put the nursing interventions for each expected outcome in a box below the appropriate
box.
7. Implement your nursing interventions. Review the expected outcomes for your nursing
diagnoses to see whether your patient has met them. For each expected outcome, write an
evaluation statement to show whether he has met that expected outcome. Place your
evaluation statements in boxes below the corresponding boxes.

8. Connect your concepts. Look for relationships among the boxes on your concept map.
Boxes with similar information are related.

How to Make a Concept Map in Microsoft

Word By Enzo Silvestri
The elements of concept maps link ideas that are related. A concept map is used to organize these
ideas into a coherent structure so that a plan can be devised. Microsoft Word is a word processing
program that has the ability to draw shapes. These shapes can be linked to create a concept map.

Instructions
1. Open Microsoft Word.
2. Insert a drawing canvas by clicking the "Insert" tab and selecting "Shapes" in the
Illustrations group. Click "New Drawing Canvas."
3. Select the "Insert" tab, click "Shapes" and choose "Oval" under the Basic Shapes section.
Click and hold your mouse and drag your mouse to the size you want the circle. Hold the
"Shift" key as you drag to keep your shape as a circle. This first shape is usually the main
idea that you are starting from. The size can be adjusted by clicking the circle and
dragging it from the edges.
4. Type your concepts or ideas into the inside of each circle by right-clicking on the circle,
selecting Add Text and typing in whatever your idea is.
5. Repeat the process again and place the next circle with your next concept near the first
circle. You can alter the size of the circle depending on how much importance you place
on the concept.
6. Link your concepts with either an arrow like a flow chart or a simple line. To use an
arrow, click the "Shapes" button, choose the type of line you want under the Lines
section.
7. To connect shapes, click on the first shape and then click on the second shape.
8. To draw a straight line, click "Line Button" image and drag to draw the line.
9. If you need to change the length of any of the arrows or lines, click on the line and point
to the circles that appear at the end, then drag them to the desired length.
10. Repeat the process with other concepts to make your concept map.
11. When you are finished, save your document.