Information technology and nursing; Emancipation versus control?

The still prevailing lack of attention to and interest in knowledge or educational development about Information Technology (IT) in Nursing may partly be explained by the traditional philosophical distance between humanism and technology. The unease of potential dehumanization of nursing care by technology may be necessary, but often overreacted. By not taking charge and responding to ongoing IT deployment, the nursing community de facto passes on responsibility for developments shaping nursing care to technocrats, other professionals and vendors. In this paper we raise discussion of control or emancipation by IT. The current design and implementation of applications like Electronic Patient Record systems including nursing documentation exemplifies and highlights such positions. We point out values and how the nursing community perceives emerging technologies, particularly in knowledge development related to IT, followed by a question of consciousness and responsibility, recognition of "mind over machine". This is neither a question of emancipation or control, but both. It is by taking the grip of recognition and responsibility in technology development we move towards freedom of choice and empowerment.