| Course | NUR 544 Theoretical Foundations for Nursing |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 2 |
| Paper type | Discussion post with peer reply |
| Length | About 474 words |
| Format | Discussion post with APA 7 citations |
| School | Arizona State University |
| Program | MS in Nursing |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for NUR 544 Module 2
Discussion Board 1: Philosophy of Nursing
The Person in the Chair: A Philosophy of Nursing From an Oncology Infusion Center
Initial Post
I work in an outpatient infusion center where most patients come every one to three weeks for chemotherapy. They sit in the same chairs, often for hours, and many of them know more about their own bodies and treatment than any new nurse. That setting has shaped my philosophy of nursing more than any textbook.
Person: I believe a person is more than a diagnosis or a regimen. The man in chair 4 is a retired pilot, a grandfather and someone frightened of losing his hands to neuropathy, and all of those matter to his care. Persons are also the experts on their own experience, so my first job is to listen.
Environment: The environment includes the infusion room, but also the person's home, work, finances and the people around them. A patient who cannot afford parking or has no ride home after a sedating premedication has an environmental problem that affects treatment as much as any lab value.
Health: I see health as a person's capacity to live as fully as possible with or without disease. Many of my patients will never be cancer-free, but they can still be healthy in this sense: able to do what matters to them, with symptoms managed and fears acknowledged.
Nursing: Nursing is the work of helping persons protect and build that capacity: monitoring for harm, managing symptoms, teaching and being present through uncertainty. It is both scientific and relational.
Our text describes nursing's metaparadigm as these four concepts and explains that philosophies of nursing state beliefs about them that guide practice and theory (McEwen & Wills, 2023). Carper's classic patterns of knowing (Carper, 1978) also describe what I use daily: empirical knowledge about drugs and toxicities, personal knowledge of myself in relationships, ethical knowledge when patients make difficult choices, and aesthetic knowledge in the art of reading a room. I rely most on empirical and personal knowing; I am least confident in ethical knowing when a patient chooses to stop treatment.
My philosophy is still unsettled on one point: how much to share bad news that patients have not asked for. I believe in honesty, but I also see that hope matters, and I have not yet found the balance.
Reply to a Classmate
Darnell, you argued that intuition has no place in nursing because practice should be evidence based. I agree that intuition should never override evidence, but I think intuition is often evidence that has not been put into words yet. When I sense a reaction starting before the monitor changes, I am drawing on hundreds of past infusions. Benner (1984) described this as the expert's knowledge that is hard to put into words. Do you think the problem is intuition itself, or acting on it without checking?
References
Benner, P. (1984). From novice to expert: Excellence and power in clinical nursing practice. Addison-Wesley.
Carper, B. A. (1978). Fundamental patterns of knowing in nursing. Advances in Nursing Science, 1(1), 13-24. https://doi.org/10.1097/00012272-197810000-00004
McEwen, M., & Wills, E. M. (2023). Theoretical basis for nursing (6th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
What the NUR 544 Module 2 instructions ask for
The ASU syllabus places Discussion Board 1, Philosophy of Nursing, in Week 2, which covers theory development and evaluation, after Week 1 introduces the philosophy of science and knowledge development through the McEwen and Wills text. The two graded discussion boards together carry 24 points, and the syllabus explains that initial posts are due Thursday, replies are due Sunday, and initial responses must be posted before others' posts become visible. Most versions have you state your philosophy of nursing, often through the metaparadigm concepts, connect it to the readings and your experience, and respond to classmates. Verify the exact questions and length in Canvas.
Inside the NUR 544 Module 2 example
The post opens with the writer's setting and why it shaped her beliefs, then takes the four metaparadigm concepts one at a time, each with a concrete example from the infusion center. A paragraph links the post to the course text and to Carper's ways of knowing, naming which the writer relies on most and least. An honest statement about an unsettled question shows the philosophy is still developing. The reply engages a classmate's claim about intuition with a counterpoint grounded in practice and closes on a question to keep the conversation going. Each of the four concepts is written in the writer's own voice, and the course text and two classic sources are cited where they support a claim.
Reading the NUR 544 Module 2 grading rubric
Philosophy boards are usually graded on clear statements about each metaparadigm concept, application to the writer's practice, accurate use of the course readings, and substantive engagement with peers, with APA format. The syllabus emphasizes substantive participation and encourages personal and professional experience, so examples matter. Graders look for beliefs expressed as the writer's own rather than copied definitions. Replies that respectfully challenge a classmate's view, with reasons, tend to earn full credit. Late initial posts can cost points because the board closes on a schedule. Faculty also check that the assigned chapters were actually read, for example by using the textbook's terms accurately. Posts that connect beliefs to how the writer will practice tend to earn the highest marks.
NUR 544 Module 2 help: mistakes that cost marks
The most common mistake is defining the metaparadigm concepts from the textbook without saying what you believe. Use your own words and examples. Another is writing a philosophy that could belong to any nurse; specify your setting and the patients who shaped your views. Admitting what you are unsure about shows maturity. Cite the course text. Post on time, since others' posts are hidden until you post. If you would like help articulating your own philosophy, send the prompt and a few notes about your practice to the desk. Write the philosophy before reading classmates' posts, so it reflects your own views. Afterward, choose a reply that respectfully pushes back or adds a perspective, since agreement alone rarely earns full credit. Stay inside the stated word range.
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 544 Module 2 questions, answered
Where can I find a free NUR 544 Module 2 sample paper?
The philosophy of nursing discussion is on this page in full: beliefs about person, environment, health and nursing from an infusion nurse, ways of knowing, a reply to a classmate and references.
What should a philosophy of nursing include in NUR 544?
What you believe about person, environment, health and nursing, the four metaparadigm concepts, with examples from your practice and links to the readings.
What are Carper's ways of knowing?
Empirical, personal, ethical and aesthetic knowing, described by Barbara Carper as the patterns of knowledge nurses use in practice.
When are NUR 544 discussion posts due?
The syllabus states initial posts are due Thursdays and peer responses the following Sunday; check Canvas for exact dates.
How many discussion boards does NUR 544 have?
The syllabus lists an introduction discussion and two discussion boards, with the two boards worth 24 points together.