Technology remains enmeshed in our daily lives and given its continuing presence in clinical practice and rapid technological proliferation; it becomes relevant for nurses to examine techno‐onto‐epistemology in relation to the discipline of nursing. This is critical considering the intersection of technology and nursing remains an area of ongoing discussion revealing a need for further philosophical reflection. To this end, this paper sought to examine the philosophy of technology from the engineering and humanities perspectives to contribute to the discussion regarding (...) its intersection with the onto‐epistemology of nursing. Although technology seems to be constantly present in nursing practice, two opposing perspectives reflecting a love‐hate relationship is highlighted: technological optimism (promotes technology) and technological romanticism (dissuades technology). Based on Mitcham's interpretation of ‘mutual relationship’ and ‘being‐with’, a potential way to break away from the binary perspectives is to view the intersection of/relationship between technology and nursing as being on a continuum rather than entirely monolithic entities. Caring is presented as multidimensional reflecting actions and attitudes. Arguably, some caring actions may intersect with the engineering perspective to suggest that technology can support nurses in their roles, that is, by imitating some of what nurses do, but not to replace them. From the humanities perspective, technology is presented as a way of being with humans exercising control over what technology has to offer. Put together, it is clearly time to break away from the love‐hate relationship between nursing and technology. Although this emphasises a great need to build the technological competency of nurses, there is an even greater call for nurses to reflect on and voice the epistemological, ontological, axiological, and ethical issues that the application of technology raises for the discipline. (shrink)

Artificial intelligence, as a nonhuman entity, is increasingly used to inform, direct, or supplant nursing care and clinical decision‐making. The boundaries between human‐ and nonhuman‐driven nursing care are blurred with the advent of sensors, wearables, camera devices, and humanoid robots at such an accelerated pace that the critical evaluation of its influence on patient safety has not been fully assessed. Since the pivotal release of To Err is Human, patient safety is being challenged by the dynamic healthcare environment like never (...) before, with nursing at a critical juncture to steer the course of artificial intelligence integration in clinical decision‐making. This paper presents an overview of artificial intelligence and its application in healthcare and highlights the implications which affect nursing as a profession, including perspectives on nursing education and training recommendations. The legal and policy challenges which emerge when artificial intelligence influences the risk of clinical errors and safety issues are discussed. (shrink)

Background Nurse leaders increasingly need effective tools that facilitate the prioritisation of ethics and help staff navigate ethical challenges and prevent moral distress. This study examined experiences with a new digital tool for ethical reflection, tailored to improve the capabilities of both leaders and employees in the context of municipal long-term care. Aim The aim was to explore the experiences of nurse leaders and nurses in using Digital Ethical Reflection as a tool for ethics work in home nursing care. Research (...) design The study employed a qualitative design, incorporating individual and focus group interviews for data collection. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the data. Participants and research context The participants comprised six nurse leaders and 13 nurses, representing six home care zones across two Norwegian municipalities. Ethical considerations The study involved informed, voluntary participation and was approved by the Norwegian Agency for Shared Services in Education and Research. Findings Four themes were developed: a constant walk on the edge between engagement and discouragement and lost in translation describe the process, while tuning in to the ethical dimension and navigating ethical uncertainties illuminate the experienced significance of Digital Ethical Reflection. Conclusion Success with Digital Ethical Reflection in home nursing care depends on clear leadership planning, nurses’ understanding of the tool’s purpose, and active use of digital registrations. Support from ethically interested nurses enhances overall engagement. Further research is needed to explore the potential of Digital Ethical Reflection as an additional tool in long-term care ethics work. (shrink)

In this article, we aimed to evaluate the utility of critical posthumanism for nurses interested in planetary health—a growing area of study that requires a decentering of the human, and environmental justice considerations. We used Chinn and colleagues' method to describe and critically reflect on critical posthumanism, extending the theory analysis method to include a wide range of academic and video sources. We found that critical posthumanism is like a double‐edged sword: It provides a lens through which to transcend human‐centric (...) approaches to healthcare but is marred by its lack of clarity and inaccessibility. We argue critical posthumanism can be adapted to enhance its potential at the intersection of nursing and planetary health. An analysis of critical posthumanism is followed by a discussion framed by five ways of knowing in nursing, highlighting real‐world examples of how critical posthumanism can aid nurses in dealing with planetary health concerns. By exploring the intersections of critical posthumanism with nursing knowledge, we demonstrate how critical posthumanism can enable nurses to comprehend and tackle environmental issues intricately linked to human health. (shrink)