Revisiting the philosophy of technology and nursing: Time to move beyond romancing resistance or resisting romance

Abstract

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.