The Map of Medicine and Student Nurses' Information-Seeking Behaviour

Abstract

The Map of Medicine provides access to around 400 care pathways for clinicians. Its primary function is to support clinical decision-making and increase clinical effectiveness. It also has the potential to act as an educational tool. This paper seeks to explore that function and to evaluate how student nurses take advantage of this facility. Two student nursing cohorts at a single college in Wales were asked to complete two questionnaires; one at the point where the Map of Medicine was first introduced to them, and subsequently six months later. The results show that the expressed initial enthusiasm for the Map waned over the six months, but that most students recognized the benefits of the online resource compared with paper-based alternatives. Traditional resources remain important and there were indications that access to other resources or forgetting about using it alongside the lack of IT access in a clinical setting may have presented a barrier.