Concept Maps
Concept Mapping is a well-known teaching/learning strategy that has been used in every field of
knowledge. The concept maps you will be constructing for your OB clinical encourages the
connecting of patient data in a meaningful manner that will allow you to develop and
demonstrate your ability to think critically. Rather than putting data on several pieces of paper
and trying to keep them connected in your thinking, you will use the concept map approach to
indicate relationships.
To create your concept map, we have provided you with a template. You will be expected to turn
in a completed concept map for each of the patients that you care for during this rotation but you
will begin your map at different times depending on whether or not you can select you patient
ahead of time.
Concept Map, Side 1
1. Start by placing your patient’s name, age and medical diagnosis at the top in the center
box. If the nursing diagnoses you will select will pertain to the mom alone or the
mom/baby couple, write the infant’s age, weight and gender below the mom’s name. If,
when you prioritize your data, you select a nursing diagnosis that really pertains only to
the newborn, you can use two separate maps, one for the mom and one for the baby.
2. You will see four boxes radiating out from the center box: medications, treatments and
procedures, pertinent diagnostic studies results and pertinent assessment findings.
a. Write the medications ordered for your patient in satellite circles and attach them
to the medication box with a line. Include maintenance IV solutions.
b. Write treatments and procedures in satellite circles around that box and attach
with a line. Examples of these are q15 minute vital signs, ice glove to perineum,
blood sugar checks, perineal care, sitz baths, staple removal, fundal checks,
peripad measurement, wound assessment, DVT assessment, PIH assessment,
foley measurement, IV site check, saline lock flush, wound irrigation, dressing
change, breastfeeding q 3-4 hours, bottle feeding q 3-4 hours, etc.
c. Pertinent diagnostic studies are included in circles connected around that box.
How do you decide what is pertinent? Don’t assume that this only includes
abnormal findings. For example, if your patient’s H&H were both normal on
admission, yet her lochia has been heavy since delivery, this baseline information
is pertinent. If your patient had gestational diabetes during her pregnancy, her
postpartum blood sugars are pertinent, even if they are WNL.
d. Pertinent assessment findings are mapped in circles around that box. As with the
previous category, what is pertinent is relative to your patient and requires you to
critically evaluate your patient. As with all patient assessment data, it may be
primary data (obtained directly from the patient) and/or secondary data (obtained
from a variety of sources such as the patient’s chart, report from the previous RN,
family members etc).
3. Nursing Diagnoses: Examine the information you have mapped. What problems,
potential problems or opportunities for enhancement are indicated? Once you decide
upon the primary nursing diagnoses, prioritize them and write them in the boxes
corresponding to their priority. Make sure to write 2 or 3 part statements depending upon
the type of diagnosis.
4. Now you get to connect the map components. To do this, draw lines (using a different
color of ink or pencil) between various parts of the map. This is a very important step
because the lines you draw demonstrate your understanding of the relationships between
various concepts.
a. Look at the various parts of the map and start connecting data that is related. For
example, your patient may have had a) history of frequency and dysuria
b)urinalysis with 40,000 WBC c) temperature of 101 and d) PO Bactrim 160 mg q
12 h. Drawing lines to connect all of this data demonstrates your understanding of
the relationships between them.
b. The relationship may be obvious and need no further explanation, such as a line
drawn between a low H&H (pertinent diagnostic study) and postpartum
hemorrhage (pertinent assessment data).
c. Sometimes, the relationship is less obvious and may be clarified by making the
line into an arrow indicating the direction of the relationship and/or a word or
phrase drawn along the axis of the line. An example of this would be the
relationship between a positive methamphetamine toxicology screen upon
admission use and pumping & dumping breastmilk q 3 h. Making the line an
arrow pointing from pumping and dumping towards the toxicology screen and
writing along the axis of the line “required until tox screen is negative” helps to
clarify the nature of the relationship between the two.
Concept Map, Side 2
This side of the map will be familiar to you as it is where you will identify the remaining steps of
the nursing process based on the nursing diagnoses that have been identified. The 3 sections are
each to be completed as follows:
1. Write the complete nursing diagnostic statement at the top.
2. Write an outcome statement that reflects resolution or reduction of the problem.
Remember the acronym SMART that describes the 5 criteria of a correctly written
outcome statement: Specific, Measurable, Appropriate, Realistic, Time-Targeted.
3. Write the interventions that you will help your patient to achieve the goal and the
scientific rationale (and reference) that justify selection of these interventions.
Interventions should consider teaching, physiologic and/or psychosocial interventions as
indicated and should be specific and individualized.
4. Keep your concept map with you as you work with your patient throughout the day. This
will allow you to document your patient’s response to the interventions and evaluate the
achievement of goals.
a. Remember, if the goal was met, that is all you need to write.
b. If the goal was not met or was only partially met, you will need to include a brief
analysis of why you think this occurred. Consider the plan and ask yourself
questions such as: Was the diagnosis incorrect? Was the goal wrong (too lofty or
too soon? Were you unable to perform the interventions or was the patient unable
or unwilling? You may not have enough room on the concept map to do this and
feel free to add an additional piece of paper if needed (or write small in the
margins).