The Co-Existence of Technology and Caring in the Theory of Technological Competency as Caring in Nursing

Abstract

: The coexistence of technology and caring is best exemplified in nursing. The theory of Technological Competency as Caring in Nursing illuminates this coexistence as the essence of technology in health care premised on machine technologies as a generic concept of objects or things that are mechanical, organic, and electronic. With its timely development these technologies are continually imbued with artificial general intelligence. As such, the ultimate expression of machine technologies in nursing turns out to be autonomous robots (ARs) with future potentials of functions comparable to human persons. While theory-based nursing practice is essential to nursing care practice, quality human care, particularly with technologies assuming indispensable practice process mechanisms is critical. Some practice-based questions informing ARs and human person engagements in nursing care practice include, "Will ARs which are imbued with artificial intelligence replace nurses in their practice?" "What contributions to quality human health care will autonomous and artificially intelligent robots provide?" While these questions may reflect far-reaching ramifications of technologies in health care, it must also be acknowledged that these technologies are fundamental to the delivery of quality human health care now, and in the future.

A novel in-service nursing education optimizing theory of technological competency as caring in nursing

“…The universal technological domain (UTD) [24] is a technological encounter that occurs in the environment. The UTD is the all-encompassing unity of 'space and technology' in which the dynamic engagement of the process of nursing is known.…”

Humanoid Nurse Robots as Caring Entities: A Revolutionary Probability?

“…These processes may involve HNRs as critical protagonists that are integral to the practice of nursing. In this probabilistic scenario, the design, development and capabilities of HNRs become vital elements, and programming of HNRs with quantum computers (Savage, 2017) and affective computers must be considered indispensable, so that acceptance, confirmation, revelation, and support of persons as caring in nursing may be achieved (Locsin & Ito, 2018, (Locsin, 2017. In addition, HNRs must possess advanced artificial intelligence, which Barrat (2013) calls artificial super intelligence (ASI), and as declared by Yonck (2017), an affective computer in order to harness the emotive or impassioned aspects of HNRs.…”

Can humanoid nurse robots replace human nurses?

“…The ideal of wholeness is a perspective of unity [34]. Persons are known as wholes in ways shaped by philosophical truths and realities and the recognition of completeness in their being is without reference to composition of parts.…”

“…Knowing persons as caring: The dynamic nursing process [8,35,36] Towards the understanding, affirming, celebrating, and supporting of persons as caring individuals in an ever-changing world, the following processes of "knowing persons as caring" are declared:…”

“…The co-created moment [37] of the nurse and nursed, while seemingly linear, is appreciated and understood as occurring unpredictably in the moment. The randomness of human reactions and the continuous change occurring moment to moment enrich the value of technological encounters within the Universal Technological Domain [34].…”