| Course | NUR 460 The Art of Nursing |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 5 |
| Paper type | Influence squares reflective document |
| Length | About 556 words, 5 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Arizona State University |
| Program | RN to BSN |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for NUR 460 Module 5
Six Squares: The People Who Made Me a Nurse
Student Name
Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Arizona State University
NUR 460: The Art of Nursing
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Six Squares: The People Who Made Me a Nurse
About These Squares
A quilt is made of squares stitched to each other, and each one holds the others in place. When I began this assignment, I thought of the people who influenced me as separate, but writing them down showed how their lessons wove together. Each square below names a concept, the people who taught it to me, and what they did. The names are changed to protect their privacy, though each of them has heard from me directly.
Square 1: Mentor
Concept: guiding someone through a hard beginning. Person: Rosa, my preceptor in my first job on a telemetry unit. Rosa let me make decisions while standing close enough to catch mistakes. When I missed a change in a patient's rhythm, she asked me what I had seen instead of telling me what I missed. A review of formal mentoring programs for hospital nurses found benefits for mentees, mentors and hospitals when the relationship is reciprocal (Kakyo et al., 2022). Rosa made it reciprocal; she told me she learned from my questions. I reached her through a former coworker and called her.
Square 2: Advocate
Concept: speaking up for the patient. Person: Dr. Nez, a family physician at my current hospital, who listens to nurses' concerns at 3 a.m. without impatience. He taught me that a nurse's call is information, not an interruption, which made me braver about calling. I wrote him a card.
Square 3: Courage
Concept: doing the right thing despite risk. Person: Carla, a charge nurse who refused to accept a fifth patient for a new graduate on an unsafe night and stood by her decision with the supervisor. Moral courage has been described as including advocacy, integrity and personal risk (Numminen et al., 2017), and Carla showed all three. I sent her a message through social media.
Square 4: Caring
Concept: attention to the whole person. Person: my grandmother, who cared for her neighbors on the reservation's edge long before I knew what nursing was. She taught me that caring is noticing what someone needs before they ask. I told her at Sunday dinner.
Square 5: Change Agent
Concept: improving a system, not just coping with it. Person: Marcus, our hospital's quality nurse, who turned a pile of incident reports into a falls program. He showed me that frustration can become a project. I emailed him.
Square 6: Learner
Concept: never stopping learning. People: my RN to BSN classmates, who work full time, raise families and still show up to discuss theory at midnight. They remind me that growth is a choice made every week. I thanked them on our course discussion board.
Reflection
Looking at the six squares together, I notice that most of my influences were not famous or senior. They were people who showed me, in ordinary moments, what nursing could be. The assignment's requirement to contact each person was the most meaningful part. Rosa cried on the phone and said no one had ever told her that. I realized that I am also a thread in other nurses' tapestries, which raises the bar for how I precept and how I speak up. Our professional code (American Nurses Association, 2025) speaks of what nurses owe the profession and one another, and this exercise made that duty feel personal.
References
American Nurses Association. (2025). Code of ethics for nurses. https://codeofethics.ana.org/
Kakyo, T. A., Xiao, L. D., & Chamberlain, D. (2022). Benefits and challenges for hospital nurses engaged in formal mentoring programs: A systematic integrated review. International Nursing Review, 69(2), 229-238. https://doi.org/10.1111/inr.12730
Numminen, O., Repo, H., & Leino-Kilpi, H. (2017). Moral courage in nursing: A concept analysis. Nursing Ethics, 24(8), 878-891. https://doi.org/10.1177/0969733016634155
Reading the NUR 460 Module 5 assignment instructions
The posted syllabus describes this Module 5 influence assignment as a document in which you identify the people and concepts that have shaped, and are shaping, your professional growth. Each square of the influence squares gets one concept, such as caring, diplomat, mentor or change agent, and the names of the people who had the greatest impact on you in that area. The syllabus also requires you to contact each person you list, in person, by mail, phone or email, and tell them they made a difference. The document is worth 5% of the course, and Module 5 adds two boards on your top three influences and your own influence. Check Canvas for the template or format.
How this NUR 460 Module 5 example is built
The document opens with a short paragraph explaining the quilt metaphor and the privacy choice to change names. Six squares follow, each with a labeled concept, a person, a specific memory and how the person was contacted, which shows the syllabus requirement was met. Two squares connect the memory to research on mentoring and on moral courage, adding depth without overwhelming the personal tone. A reflection paragraph draws a pattern across the squares and describes the effect of reaching out to each person, ending with a link to the ANA code's duties to the profession. The tone stays personal and warm, as a influence squares should, while the two citations show the writer connecting her story to the wider profession.
Reading the NUR 460 Module 5 grading rubric
This influence document is usually graded on completeness, meaning every square has a concept and named people; on the clarity and specificity of the explanations; on evidence that each person was contacted, as the syllabus requires; and on reflection about what the squares reveal. Because it carries only 5% of the grade, instructors often focus on whether the work is thoughtful and complete rather than on length. Clear formatting that makes each square easy to read helps. Citations are not always required, but they can strengthen the reflection if the prompt invites connection to course concepts. Some instructors also ask you to share part of the influence squares on the Module 5 boards, so write it in a way you are comfortable posting.
NUR 460 Module 5 help: mistakes that cost marks
The most common shortfall is listing names without saying what each person taught, which turns the document into a thank-you list. Give one memory for each. Another is forgetting the requirement to contact each person; note briefly how you did. Protect privacy by using first names or initials if your work will be visible to classmates. Choose concepts that fit the people, rather than forcing six fixed labels. Leave room for a short reflection at the end. Share the template and the names you plan to include, and the desk can help you shape each square. If someone you want to include has died or cannot be reached, explain how you honored them instead, and check with your instructor. Proofread names carefully.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Arizona State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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NUR 460 Module 5 questions, answered
Where can I find a free NUR 460 Module 5 sample paper?
The complete influence squares document is shown above: six squares naming concepts and the people who taught them, how each person was contacted, a closing reflection and references.
What is the influence squares assignment in NUR 460?
A document in which you assign a concept to each square, such as mentor or change agent, and name the people who most influenced your growth in that area.
Do I have to contact the people in my NUR 460 influence squares?
Yes. The syllabus states that each person listed must be contacted and told they made a difference in your professional life.
Can I include family members in the NUR 460 influence squares?
Yes, if they influenced your professional development. Many nurses include a parent or grandparent who taught them caring.
How many squares does the NUR 460 influence document have?
Follow the template in Canvas. The syllabus describes one concept per square, so the number depends on the template provided.