Major Concepts

Metaparadigm

The major concepts of this theory—person, health, nursing, and environment—are referred to as the metaparadigm of the theory. Locsin described each concept in relation to technology and caring and how each is interconnected with each other.

PERSON

Locsin (2005) defines a human being as that of a “whole” person, complete in the moment and continually growing, changing in response to unique personal conditions, and experiences. He believes that a person is appreciated through his or her component parts, including sensory data about a person obtained through technology. However, one of the potential risks of the use of technology in nursing is that by its very nature, technology requires a deconstructionist or reductionist perspective of human beings as mere parts or objects. Meaning, it is easy for nurses to fall into the practice of objectification of persons and considering nursing as merely the completion of tasks (as cited in DeJonge, Vankampen, Cambier, and Kelley, 2015).

NURSING

Locsin (2005) expressed that compassion, confidence, commitment and conscience are all essential components of caring in nursing. He also stated, “The level of knowledge a nurse possesses is not what makes the person the focus of nursing. Instead, it is the intentional and authentic presence brought into the situation that enables the nurse to know the other as a person living unique hopes, dreams, and aspirations (cited in DeJonge et al., 2015). Moreover, he emphasized that the function of the nurse is to be with patients in their pursuit of their health goals and desires through caring and intentional relationships (as cited in Lesniak, 2005).

Locsin (2001) stated, “The nurse is challenged to be technologically proficient while responding authentically and intentionally to calls for nursing”. Further, in 2007, he stated that technological competence as an expression of caring is only fulfilled with an expertise in the technologies of nursing. Thus, nurses act as the “interface” between technology and patients, through a patient-centered care and holistic approach, both using technology to know patients more wholly and to help patients more fully understand the role of technology in their care (as cited in DeJonge et al., 2015).

HEALTH

Health, according to Locsin (2005), is the “enhancing of personhood,” allowing each person to develop and progress moment to moment. It is important to avoid considering persons as existing with a “box of predicted conditions” needing to be fixed; rather, each person is unique and individual, and the definition of health varies from person to person depending on their hopes and desires (as cited in DeJonge et al., 2015).

ENVIRONMENT

Environment centers mainly on the technological world. Technology use allows greater insights of the whole state of health. Competence in technological knowing allows for continual movement between task and improved presence with patients through mastery. Technology and machine skill competence is only a tool to optimal patient care and the focus of care is the person as a whole.

Summary

A person is believed to be more than just a sum of his parts. He is considered whole whether sick or not. The nurse’s role is to fully know the patient with the use of technology; and that information from technology use are utilized to care for the patient and not to complete tasks. As Locsin (2001) stated, “Nurses have always used techniques and tools in meaningful ways to achieve valued ends” (as cited in Brodell, 2009).

References

Brodell, E. (2009). Technology and caring in nursing education. EDULEARN09 Proceedings: 1st International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies. Barcelona, Spain: IATED.  Retrieved from http://limu.edu.ly/pub/544.pdf 

DeJonge, K., Vankampen, N., Cambier, E., & Kelley, N. (2015). R. Locsin: ‘Technological Competency as an Expression of Caring’ theory critique. Retrieved from http://kristindejonge.weebly.com/uploads/5/0/2/2/50228145/locsin_group_theory_critique_.pdf 

Lesniak, R. (2005). Caring through technological competency. The Journal of School Nursing, 21, 194. Retrieved from http://jsn.sagepub.com/content/21/4/194.full?ck=nck&patientinform-links=yes&legid=spjsn;21/4/194 

Locsin, R. C. (2005). Advancing technology, caring and nursing. In Locsin, R. C. (Ed.), Technological competency as caring in nursing: A model for practice, (pp. 88-94). Sigma Theta Tau International: Indianapolis, IN.