| Course | NUR 553 Dynamics of Professional Nursing II |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 1 |
| Paper type | Critical analysis essay with a graphic model |
| Length | About 787 words, 5 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Arizona State University |
| Program | MS in Nursing |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for NUR 553 Module 1
Knowing the Person Through the Machine: Technology as a Fifth Element of the Nursing Metaparadigm
Student Name
Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Arizona State University
NUR 553: Dynamics of Professional Nursing II
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Knowing the Person Through the Machine: Technology as a Fifth Element of the Nursing Metaparadigm
Introduction
The nursing metaparadigm names the four concepts that define the discipline's focus: person, nursing, environment and health. Fawcett (1984) proposed these four as the central concepts that distinguish nursing from other fields, and they still organize most nursing theory. This essay asks whether they are enough for today's practice, argues that technology should be added as a fifth element, supports the choice with a nursing theorist and shows how it would shape practice.
Are Four Elements Enough?
The four concepts remain useful because they are broad. Person covers individuals, families and communities; environment covers physical and social surroundings; health covers well-being and illness; and nursing covers what nurses do. Their breadth is also their weakness. On my telemetry unit, almost every encounter is mediated by technology: cardiac monitors, infusion pumps, the electronic health record, bedside scanners and, increasingly, algorithms that flag deterioration. These are not simply part of the environment, because they actively shape what nurses notice, how patients are known and how decisions are made. A nurse can watch a rhythm strip from a central station without entering the room. The four concepts do not describe that relationship well.
Our course text describes nursing knowledge as built from evidence, theory and multiple patterns of knowing (Friberg & Saewert, 2024). Technology now enters each of these: evidence arrives through data systems, and empirical knowing is often mediated by devices. Leaving technology inside "environment" hides how much it shapes nursing itself.
Technology as the Fifth Element
I propose technology as the fifth element of the metaparadigm, defined as the devices, information systems and digital tools through which nurses know, monitor and care for persons. It interacts with each of the other four. It changes how the person is known, it alters the environment of care, it influences health outcomes and it reshapes nursing work.
Supporting Theorist: Rozzano Locsin
Locsin's theory of technological competency as caring in nursing provides direct support. Locsin (2005) argued that competency with technology is itself an expression of caring when nurses use it to know the person more fully, and that the danger lies in treating the patient as the sum of the data on the screen. The theory treats technology as neither opposed to caring nor neutral; it becomes caring when the nurse uses it to understand who the person is in the moment. That stance justifies giving technology its own place in the metaparadigm rather than leaving it as background.
Incorporating the Fifth Element Into Practice
At the bedside. When a monitor alarms, technological competency means interpreting the data quickly and accurately, and caring means then going to the patient to understand what the data mean for this person. A heart rate of 130 might be atrial fibrillation, pain or fear. The device starts the knowing; the nurse completes it.
In documentation. The electronic record can reduce a patient to fields and flowsheets. Including a short narrative of what matters to the patient keeps the person visible within the technology.
At discharge. Teaching patients to use home blood pressure monitors or scales, and checking that they can, extends technological competency to the patient and family.
In my MS role. As I move toward a role in education or leadership, I can treat technology as part of nursing's core concern, for example by evaluating new monitoring systems for whether they help nurses know patients better.
Graphic Model of the Revised Metaparadigm
Figure 1 is described here in text. Person sits at the center. Health, environment and nursing surround it as overlapping circles, as in the traditional model. Technology forms a fifth ring that passes through all four, labeled "the means through which nurses know and care for the person." Arrows run in both directions between technology and each element to show that technology shapes them and is shaped by them.
| Element | Definition in the revised model | Relationship to technology |
|---|---|---|
| Person | The individual, family or community receiving care | Known partly through data, never only through data |
| Environment | Physical, social and digital surroundings | Includes the devices and systems around the patient |
| Health | The person's state of well-being or illness | Monitored, predicted and supported by technology |
| Nursing | The actions and knowledge of nurses | Includes technological competency as an expression of caring |
| Technology | Devices, information systems and digital tools used in care | Connects and influences the other four |
Conclusion
The four metaparadigm concepts remain the foundation of nursing's identity, but they no longer describe how much of nursing happens through technology. Adding technology as a fifth element, supported by Locsin's theory, makes visible both its power and its risks and reminds nurses that the goal is always to know the person.
References
Fawcett, J. (1984). The metaparadigm of nursing: Present status and future refinements. Image: The Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 16(3), 84-87. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1547-5069.1984.tb01393.x
Friberg, E. E., & Saewert, K. J. (Eds.). (2024). Conceptual foundations: The bridge to professional nursing practice (8th ed.). Elsevier.
Locsin, R. C. (2005). Technological competency as caring in nursing: A model for practice. Sigma Theta Tau International.
NUR 553 Module 1 instructions, in plain terms
The Week 1 essay sits under the course's first theme, knowledge: evidence, theories and ways and patterns of knowing. Students read about the four elements of the nursing metaparadigm and are asked whether those four are enough in today's health care environment. The syllabus then asks for a fifth element explained with appropriate supporting documentation, a nursing theorist who would support the selection, a discussion of how the fifth element would be incorporated into practice and a graphic model of the revised metaparadigm. It is one of three papers worth 35 points together. The syllabus encourages creativity and notes there is no right or wrong fifth element, so the grade turns on the quality of the argument.
How the NUR 553 Module 1 example is put together
Fawcett's original proposal of the four concepts appears in the introduction, which states the essay's four tasks. A section on whether four elements are enough grants their breadth, then shows with telemetry examples how technology shapes nursing rather than sitting in the background. The fifth element is defined in one paragraph and linked to the other four. Locsin's theory of technological competency as caring supports the choice. Practice is addressed at the bedside, in documentation, at discharge and in the writer's future MS role. The graphic model is described in text and summarized in a five-row table. A short conclusion restates the argument. Three sources support the essay.
Where the marks sit in the NUR 553 Module 1 rubric
Faculty are likely to check each element the syllabus lists: an analysis of whether the four concepts suffice, a fifth element with supporting documentation, a nursing theorist who supports it, its incorporation into practice and a graphic model. Essays earn most when the argument for the fifth element is reasoned, showing what the four miss, rather than simply proposing a popular concept. Choosing a theorist whose work directly addresses the element strengthens the case. Specific practice examples demonstrate understanding beyond the abstract. A clear, labeled model makes the revision concrete. APA format and accurate citation of the metaparadigm's origin count in a paper on nursing knowledge.
NUR 553 Module 1 help from the desk
A frequent weakness is choosing a fifth element without explaining why the existing four cannot hold it. Show the gap first. Another is picking a theorist whose work does not actually support the element. Check that the theory addresses your concept directly. Graphic models are often omitted or decorative; label each element and show the relationships. If you tell the desk which element you have in mind and your practice area, an essay can be drafted around them. Build the model in Word or PowerPoint and insert it, then describe it in a sentence so readers using screen readers can follow. Keep practice examples to your own setting, where you can describe the devices and routines accurately.
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 553 Module 1 questions, answered
Where can I find a free NUR 553 Module 1 sample paper?
The NUR 553 Critical Analysis Essay sample on this page proposes technology as a fifth metaparadigm element, with Locsin's theory and a model.
What does the NUR 553 Week 1 essay ask?
Whether the four metaparadigm elements are enough today, a fifth element with support and a theorist, how it fits practice and a graphic model.
What are the four elements of the nursing metaparadigm?
Person, environment, health and nursing, proposed by Fawcett as the central concepts of the discipline.
Who is Rozzano Locsin?
A nurse theorist whose theory of technological competency as caring holds that skilled use of technology can be a way of knowing the person.
Is there a right fifth element for the metaparadigm?
No. The syllabus says there is no right or wrong choice; the essay is graded on the argument and support.