How to Substitute Standardized Care Plans for Concept Maps

If you are a healthcare provider working in a long-term care facility or other clinical environment, you are probably familiar with the concept of writing care plans. Healthcare workers are required by state law to write and update care plans along with attending quarterly care-plan meetings. Care plans, however, can be difficult to assimilate and even more difficult to implement when multiple departments are involved in the care of one patient. Instead of writing the standard care plan, a more effective method may be found using a simple visual tool that can be shared by everyone involved in the care of your patient. A concept map will not only enhance your understanding of your patient's needs, but can also serve as an effective holistic and collaborative tool when determining the best approaches to care.

Things You'll Need

• Patient records and data
• Staff notes and documentation
• White board with markers or
• Projector system hooked to a laptop

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Instructions

Creating your Concept Map

• 1

  Look for themes based on data obtained from patient's chart.

  Gather pertinent patient data from charts, nurse's notes, and other records.

• 2

  Identify themes that suggest new challenges your patient may currently be experiencing, such as changes in physical condition, dietary changes, level of functioning, or behavioral changes. Place this important data in a circle at the top of your concept map.

• 3

  Create new circles that extend and branch off from the patient's circle you first created. These new circles represent the plans of action and interventions that have been contributed by each department.

• 4

  Use your concept map to find innovative ways to collaborate.

  Analyze your concept map and look for opportunities to link and collaborate with other departments as you begin writing your interventions.

• 5

  Concept maps are effective tools in enhancing critical thinking skills.

  Create a final category to represent goals and desired outcome as a result of implementing your plan of action. Several articles have been written on the effectiveness of concept mapping for nurses. An article written by Sandee Hicks appears in the publication "Nurse Education in Practice." and suggests that concept mapping is a preferred teaching tool for nursing students in order to promote critical thinking.