The purpose of this article is to describe recommendations towards the design and direction of development for Humanoid Nursing Robots (HNRs) from the standpoint of researchers of nursing care practice.

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Aim:The purpose of this study was to survey how nurses who work in Intensive Care Units in Japan, realize and practice nursing based on the theory of Technological Competency of Caring in Nursing (TCCN). Methods:The survey was conducted from September 2016 to November 2016 by questionnaire entitled, "Perceived Inventory of Technological Competency as Caring in Nursing (PITCCN). " It was developed based on Locsin's middle range theory on Technological Competency as Caring in Nursing. Copies of the Inventory were sent by mail to 426 ICU nurses working in hospitals within Japan. Three hundred eight questionnaire copies without missing values were returned (response rate was 72%).Results: (1) The scores about the practice situations of TCCN were significantly lower than those concerning the recognition of TCCN. Although ICU nurses recognized the need for TCCN, they thought that they had not practiced it enough. (2) In comparing the group having the education about caring and the group without the education, the scores concerning recognition of TCCN was significantly higher in educated group. However, no significant difference was found in the practice situation. (3) In comparing the variables "experience years of clinical nursing, " although this did not have a significant difference in the variable "recognition of TCCN. " However, the scores of the practice situation of TCCN was significantly higher compared between the group with 10 or more years of clinical experience than the group with less than 10 years' experience. (4) In comparing years of experience, ICU nurses' the scores concerning recognition of TCCN who had practice experience of 10 or more years was significantly higher than the group having less than fiveyears' experience. Conclusion:By measuring nurses' practical situation of TCCN, this focus will be to deliver high quality nursing through continuing professional education.

The purpose of this article is to frame the development of humanoid healthcare robots (HHRs) within Caring Science. Efforts to introduce robot technologies in nursing practice and to use them in elderly and high-tech healthcare environments have begun in developed countries. HHRs can be used to assist nurses with tasks or to perform care-related tasks independently. HHRs need to be programmed to demonstrate respectful, compassionate, and person-centered care. In this article we suggest Caring Science-informed approaches based on five philosophies/theories that can be used in programming the responses and communication patterns of HHRs.

The probability that humanoid nurse robots (HNRs) can be caring seems plausible. The question explored by this article is: what are humanoid nurse robots manifesting when they become more functionally advanced and human-like? Its discussion is grounded in several foundational philosophical and theoretical viewpoints such as Plato’s focus on “soul,” Rogers’ emphasis on human energy fields, Boykin and Schoenhofer’s assumption of persons as caring because of their humanness, and the prescriptive or predictive practice of nursing. Imploring logical explanations, the possibility of humanoid robots manifesting caring seems to become more likely. In future developments, to what end will HNRs be functional and able to manifest caring regardless of their human-likeness?