Information and Human Freedom: Nursing Implications and Ethical Decision-Making in the 21st Century

Abstract

With globalization and the increasing volume of healthcare information available to people, questions surface as nurses contemplate and envision what role and how our nursing theory-guided discipline ought to be lived with colleagues of other disciplines, each other, and those we serve in the 21(st) century. This column begins a path of ethical exploration and possible implications for the opportunities and challenges associated with the information age in nursing research, practice, and education. Discussion focuses on the disciplinary responsibilities for information giving and receiving; coming to know, human freedom, and decision-making in the human-universe-health process.

Information Sharing

“…Knowing is an evolving process cocreated all-at-once in the humanuniverse-health process. The manner in which information is handled and processed is of great importance in the economics of global healthcare, and significantly influences decision-making processes for persons who rely upon, purchase, and receive healthcare services from healthcare professionals (Milton, 2007). With the explosion of available technology looming on the horizon, what will be the role of nurses for the acquisition and dissemination of sensitive health information?…”

“…It is the author's view that the practice of nursing and the ethical questions that surface regarding what nurses ought and should do in circumstances regarding the usage of electronic medical information and databases ought to be guided by discipline-specific schools of thought that include nursing theoretical frameworks, principles, and concepts. Members of the discipline should be expected to demonstrate knowledge of the theory in practice while coparticipating in providing healthcare services and developing discipline-specific policies with complementary healthcare disciplines (Milton, 2007). If such knowledge and understanding with disciplinary practice is not evident to society or other healthcare disciplines, there may be a philosophical and conceptual blurring for what the nursing discipline uniquely contributes to the discussion and the value priorities of the discipline of nursing will not be apparent or recognizable.…”

“…From a nursing theoretical perspective, what are some ethical assumptions and possible ethical implications for the acquisition and sharing of private, confidential health information? When envisioning the national electronic database priorities, what role opportunities and challenges will the discipline of nursing assume for promoting and honoring healthcare recipients' freedom to choose desired healthcare recordings and how personal, electronic health records will be handled (Milton, 2007)?…”

“…The Code of Ethics of the American Nurses Association (2001) addresses the issues concerned with privacy and confidentiality, and acknowledges the potential conflicts for nurses who may be experiencing competing loyalties. All nurses have a duty to facilitate the good and to do no harm in keeping with professional disciplinary values found in code statements and to avoid harming others (Milton, 2007). From a humanbecoming (Parse, 2007) perspective, nurses acknowledge and offer respect to those who may receive nursing services and where health documentation takes place.…”

Nursing qua nursing: the connection between nursing knowledge and nursing shortages

“…Will you begin to practise and support nursing qua nursing ? Will you join Milton (2007) in declaring, ‘[T]he practice of nursing ought to be guided by discipline‐specific schools of thought that include nursing theoretical frameworks, principles and concepts. Members of the discipline should be expected to demonstrate knowledge of the theory in practice when providing nursing and complementary healthcare services to people’ (p. 33)?…”