Introduction: Nurses’ capabilities in providing correct, efficient and ensured healthcare based on patients’ needs and coordinate with other healthcare staff is essential in promotion of healthcare services. A noticeable fact is that nurses should be thoughtful critics and problem solvers and effective deciders in order to achieve desired healthcare outcomes. Critical thinking is extensively considered in the basic goals of nursing education. Therefore, nurse educators are under pressure to prepare graduates who are capable of critical thinking and problem solving in different clinical centers. Use of active teaching strategies instead of traditional memory improving methods is required in order to promote meaningful learning. Alternative methods are offered in the present study.

  Conclusion: Concept mapping is one of the modern teaching strategies, which was first introduced by Novak and Gowin in 1984 to facilitate the process of meaningful learning. Concept maps are schematic diagrams that put together a set of concepts and meanings in an ordered and hierarchic framework based on the learning structure of human brain by creating a logical relationship among them. Therefore, concept mapping is an active teaching strategy that helps nurse educators prepare graduates that are capable of critical thinking in complex health care environments. Concept maps can be used to develop students’ critical thinking skills, provide holistic patient-oriented cares and prepare the students for clinical activities and link theoretical and clinical practices.