ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Med.
Sec. Healthcare Professions Education
Application of mind mapping combined with case-based learning model using simulated clinical cases in nursing education
Xia Niu
Xiaoxia Ku
Medical College Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a mind mapping-integrated case-based learning (CBL) model using simulated clinical cases in nursing education. Methods: One hundred nursing undergraduates from a medical college were enrolled between January 2022 and January 2024. According to the teaching approach, students were assigned to either a control group receiving traditional lecture-based teaching or a research group receiving the mind mapping-integrated CBL model using simulated clinical cases (n = 50 per group). The two groups were compared in terms of theoretical examination scores, practical nursing skills scores, clinical thinking ability (including critical, evidence-based, and systematic thinking), learning initiative, and satisfaction with teaching following the intervention. Results: Following the intervention, students in the research group achieved significantly higher theoretical knowledge and practical nursing skill scores compared with those in the control group (z = 7.565 and 7.680, respectively; P < 0.05). In terms of cognitive outcomes, the research group demonstrated superior performance in critical, evidence-based, and systematic thinking relative to the control group (z = 4.149, 4.525, and 4.181, respectively; P < 0.05). In addition, significant improvements were observed in self-directed learning ability, learning motivation, and clinical application of knowledge in the research group (z = 4.651, 5.396, 6.032, respectively; P < 0.05). Overall satisfaction with the teaching method was also significantly higher in the research group than in the control group (χ² = 8.274, P < 0.05). Conclusion: The mind mapping-integrated CBL model using simulated clinical cases can markedly enhance nursing students' theoretical mastery, clinical operational skills, and reflective thinking ability, while also improving satisfaction with the teaching process.
Summary
Keywords
Case-based learning, Clinical thinking, Mind mapping, Nursing education, student satisfaction, Teaching model
Received
26 November 2025
Accepted
11 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Niu and Ku. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Xiaoxia Ku
Disclaimer
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.