Mnemonics, Chunking, and Mind Mapping in Enhancing the Perceived Memory of Nursing Students

Background: Memory retention is a critical challenge for nursing students, with 67% identifying information retention as their primary academic obstacle. Effective memory enhancement techniques are essential for both academic achievement and clinical proficiency in nursing education. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of combining mnemonics, chunking, and mind mapping techniques for enhancing perceived memory among first-year BSc Nursing students. Methodology: A quantitative pre-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design was employed. Eighty first-year BSc Nursing students from a college in Puducherry were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a 20-question structured perceived memory questionnaire. The intervention consisted of a 45-minute presentation on "Vital signs" incorporating all three memory enhancement techniques, with a post-test conducted after one week. Results: Pretest results revealed 62.5% of students had inadequate perceived memory and 37.5% had moderate levels. Post-intervention, 51.2% achieved moderate and 48.8% achieved adequate levels of perceived memory. Mean scores improved significantly from 9.88 ± 2.821 to 16.18 ± 2.151 (paired t-test value = 25.93, P < 0.001). Conclusion: The combined application of mnemonics, chunking, and mind mapping significantly enhances perceived memory among nursing students. Each technique offers specific advantages: mnemonics for procedural knowledge, chunking for organizing related concepts, and mind mapping for promoting conceptual understanding. Strategic implementation of these techniques based on content type and learning objectives may optimize educational outcomes in nursing education.