The Banality of Data: Patient Records, Nursing, and Ideology.

This article explores nursing, patient records, and ideology within the context of the National Socialist "euthanasia" program ( T4) in Germany and Austria from 1939 to 1941, which targeted individuals with mental and physical disabilities for systematic killing. Using Hannah Arendt's concept of the "banality of evil," it examines how ordinary individuals, including nurses, became agents of atrocity by adhering to bureaucratic orders. Jacques Ellul's Ethics of Technology framework is employed to analyze how National Socialist ideology manipulated technological processes to enhance efficiency in genocidal goals.

Collaborative International Nursing Writing Group: A Nonpatriarchal Approach.

This paper offers a critical discussion of the evolution and impact of an international nursing writing group, developed to support nursing faculty and academics globally. Amid the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the writing group adapted and thrived online with a flattened power structure, and shared influence and acknowledgment of mutual capacity and contribution. The writing group attracted participants from various countries, with international members enriching collaboration, and fostering a global network of nursing scholars.

The Ethical, Care, and Client-Caregiver Relationship Impacts Resulting From Introduction of Digital Communication and Surveillance Technologies in the Home Setting: Qualitative Inductive Study.

Background: Embedding communication and surveillance technology into the home health care setting has demonstrated the capacity for increased data efficiency, assumptions of convenience, and smart solutions to pressing problems such as caregiver shortages amid a rise in the aging population. The race to develop and implement these technologies within home care and public health nursing often leaves several ethical questions needing to be answered.

Objective: The aim of this study was to understand the ethical and care implications of implementing digital communication and surveillance technologies in the home setting as perceived by health caregivers practicing in the region of Halland in Sweden with clients receiving home care services.

Ethics and New Health Technologies: An Innovative Descriptive Analysis of the State of the Literature.

The exponential advancement of health technologies has led to an increasing need for awareness and critical thinking about the potential unintended consequences and ethical dilemmas that may arise from using new technologies. Unfortunately, many ethical issues arise post-implementation. Few researchers preemptively consider the ethical implications of health technologies.

Examining how Ethics in Relation to Health Technology is Described in the Research Literature: Scoping Review.

Background: Given the increased use of technology in health care, both in extent and application, the importance of understanding the ethical implications of new health technologies increases. Profound insight into the possible ethical implications of new health technologies enhances the research and development of such technologies and the likelihood of eventual successful implementation in clinical practice.

Objective: This study aimed to gain an understanding of how and if researchers focused on health technologies describe the actual or possible ethical aspects of their research findings.

Examining the International Palliative Care Systems in Rural Areas: Protocol for a Comparative Case Study.

Background: The aging population in the Global North is associated with an increased prevalence of multiple chronic diseases that would benefit from integrated palliative care. In this context, it is vital to consider the effectiveness of health care systems' response to the needs of the older population residing in rural areas, including access to palliative care services. Understanding palliative care program availability and palliative care system characteristics is important in creating useful health interventions in rural areas.

Introducing a Future-Oriented Approach to Health-Care Technologies and Welfare Policies: An Innovative Ethics Project in Sweden.

This article is a description of a 2-year program (May 2017-April 2019) intended to introduce new approaches to addressing ethical issues resulting from the introduction of new health-care technologies and welfare policies. In contrast to the traditional retrospective approach in addressing ethical issues after they occur, this program intended to address ethical issues proactively, before they occurred. This future-focused approach is one way to better keep up with the acceleration of change that society confronts.

Examining the Ethical Implications of Health Care Technology Described in US and Swedish PhD Dissertations: Protocol for a Scoping Review.

Background: The development of new biomedical technologies is accelerating at an unprecedented speed. These new technologies will undoubtedly bring solutions to long-standing problems and health conditions. However, they will likely also have unintended effects or ethical implications accompanying them.

Barriers to Teaching Social Determinants of Health: Nursing Study-Abroad Programs in a Digital Age.

The social determinants of health are the conditions in which humans are born, grow up, live, work, and age (World Health Organization [WHO], 2012). In nursing programs, this content is typically taught in community health courses. Another strategy for teaching students how to understand the social determinants of health is study-abroad courses.

From High Touch to High Tech: A Conversation With Maureen O'Hara, BSN, RN, OCN.

An oncology nurse talks about her 42-year career at Stanford Medical Center. The technological and pharmacological advances she has seen in that time have changed the face of oncology nursing practice and transformed many previously fatal cancers into curable diseases or chronic illnesses compatible with well-being. The increasing complexity of care requires multidisciplinary collaboration and brings with it new ethical dilemmas.

Problems with the electronic health record.

One of the most significant changes in modern healthcare delivery has been the evolution of the paper record to the electronic health record (EHR). In this paper we argue that the primary change has been a shift in the focus of documentation from monitoring individual patient progress to recording data pertinent to Institutional Priorities (IPs). The specific IPs to which we refer include: finance/reimbursement; risk management/legal considerations; quality improvement/safety initiatives; meeting regulatory and accreditation standards; and patient care delivery/evidence based practice.

To lift or not to lift: patient-handling practices.

Musculoskeletal injury is common among nurses as a result of lifting and handling patients. In response to musculoskeletal injuries, safe patient-handling programs are being instituted to decrease the risk of injuries and resulting impaired function. This study was designed to identify patient-handling practices in clinical practice.

Nursing: the skill and art of being in a society of multitasking.

Multitasking, a media-driven bias toward dramatic scenarios, and an emphasis on meeting institutional goals in the form of documentation have led to a culture of action-based practice, which interferes with nurses' ability to simply be with patients. In order for nurses to be fully present with their patients, the cultural norm of multitasking and the emphasis on doing must be reexamined within the context of patient care.

Defining nursing: a linguistic view.

A nurse who has practiced in different countries reflects on the words used in various languages to name our profession, and what those words have to say about the deeper meaning of nursing.

The safety paradox.

Creating an environment that is truly safe for both nurses and patients requires the elimination of disparities in approaches to staff safety and patient safety. Patient safety approaches based on transparency and blamelessness are effective tools in developing an environment that is constantly improving itself. In addition to creating a safe and blame-free environment, creating a new model that nurses can use in real time would allow for rapid decision-making that maintains the safety and integrity of nurses as well as patients.

Diabetes expertise: a subspecialty on a general medical unit.

A medical unit developed a subspecialty in diabetes care by increasing the expertise of its staff nurses. A task force was formed to set goals and create an action plan. An educational curriculum was developed, implemented, and evaluated.

Developing a transcultural patient care Web site.

The development of a transcultural Web site created by a multidisciplinary committee in a large medical center is described. The purpose of this Web site is to give direct patient caregivers immediate, around-the-clock access to various types of transcultural information that can serve as an aid in the provision of culturally competent care. This article outlines the steps to developing the Web site and provides a description of the types of informational resources available on it.