Use of Mnemonics in Nursing
Memory can work as either declarative or procedural, in that it can be in the form of a conscious recollection of facts or skill-based learning, respectively. Individuals tend to store declarative memory in the form of working memory held on for short time purposes for eventual storage and long-term memory, which can easily be stored in the brain permanently due to its connection to facts. Individuals use mnemonics in their practice in the form of acronyms, songs, or rhymes to stimulate memory and retain information. Mnemonics help break down information and reduce its amount to help memorize it efficiently and allow for long-term processing and easy retrieval. Physicians use mnemonics to help remember procedures for screening patients (El Hussein et al., 2016), whether for general or specific conditions and create treatment and care plans.
Common mnemonics used by nurses in their practice include DCAP-BTLS, which assesses patients after traumatic injuries step by step. The process involves assessing the presence of deformities, contusions, abrasions, punctures, burns, tenderness, lacerations, and swelling. Remembering each step of assessment for this type of situation is very tasking. Using the acronym makes it more accessible. Human beings have a large memory capacity. Retaining the information, however, is not a simple task for every individual. There are other ways to help remember essential data in their minds apart from using mnemonics and memorizing. Converting written texts to pictures is one of the most efficient ways to retain information since humans tend to remember visual cues better (Bingham et al., 2016). Apart from reading about procedures, performing practical procedures will make the memory vivid.
References
Bingham, T., Reid, S., & Ivanovic, V. (2016). Paint me a picture: Translating academic integrity policies and regulations into visual content for an online course. International Journal for Educational Integrity, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40979-016-0008-8
El Hussein, M. T., Jakubec, S. L., & Osuji, J. (2016). The FACTS: A mnemonic for the rapid assessment of rigor in qualitative research studies. Journal of Nursing Education, 55(1), 60-60. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20151214-15
Leave a Reply