The Unintended Impact of Technological Advances for a Nursing Ethic of Care

. A nursing ethics of care asserts that ethical obligations are derived from the universal nature of care embedded in human interdependence. Examinations of the ethical implications of advancements in technology for nursing, therefore, appropriately focus on how technology directly and indirectly transforms core features and values of the nursing relationship with patients, with other members of the interprofessional care team, with the organization, and with themselves. This article will summarize the limited research documenting the impact of technological advancements on a nursing ethic of care. It will then analyze two cases to highlight additional, unintentional implications of the implementation of technological advancements for nursing practice and ethical care. Finally, it will make recommendations for how clinical ethicists might join nurses to promote development, implementation, and use of new technologies that balance the outcomes of efficiency and effectiveness with core features of a nursing ethic of care.