Artificial Intelligence in Nursing: A Study on Possibilities and Ethical Issues

Strategic Insights -

Researchers from the University of Tokyo have discussed the potential role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the field of nursing, highlighting the importance of human emotions and empathy in patient care. The study suggests that while AI can potentially assist with certain tasks, there are areas of nursing practice that cannot be fully replicated by machines. The researchers emphasize the need for further study to determine whether AI should be used in nursing care, citing concerns about accountability, cooperation, and caring.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study focuses on several ethical concepts in nursing practice, including advocacy, accountability, cooperation, and caring, and examines whether these concepts can be implemented in robots and AI.
  • Advocacy: While some components of advocacy, such as safeguarding and apprising, can be more easily implemented in AI, emotional communication with patients, such as valuing and mediating, are difficult to replicate.
  • Accountability: Robotic nurses with explainable AI have a certain level of accountability, but the concept of explanation has problems of infinite regression and attribution of responsibility.
  • Cooperation: Robot nurses require the same cooperation as human nurses if they are recognized as members of a community.
  • Caring: The concept of caring is ambiguous and should be explored further, with more difficulties expected in care-receiving than in caregiving.
  • The study concludes that while some difficulties can be expected in each of these concepts, it is not impossible to implement them in AI, but further study is needed to determine whether such robots or AI should be used for nursing care.
  • The researchers emphasize the need for diverse perspectives, including those of ethicists, nurses, and society members, in discussions about the use of AI in nursing care.

Statistics:

  • The study was published in the journal Nursing Ethics in 2024, Volume 31, Issue 6, pages 1010-1020.
  • Robots and AI are expected to play a significant role in the field of nursing in the future, with some areas of practice potentially being fully automated.
  • The concept of explanation has problems of infinite regression and attribution of responsibility, making accountability a complex issue in AI-powered nursing.
  • Caring is an ambiguous concept that requires further study, with more difficulties expected in care-receiving than in caregiving.

Sources:

  • Possibilities and Ethical Issues of Entrusting Nursing Tasks To Robots and Artificial Intelligence. Nursing Ethics, 2024;31(6):1010-1020.
  • Eisuke Nakazawa, University of Tokyo, Faculty of Medicine, Bunkyo Ku, Tokyo, Japan.
  • Tomohide Ibuki and Ai Ibuki, Additional authors for the research.