ETHICS AND NURSING IN A WIRED WORLD

In recent years, healthcare givers and patients have extensively used computerized technologies and digital information. This changed the work environment and skills of nurses who learn to live with innovations, namely working with both “machines” and humans. Nursing is patient-centered, respecting human dignity and acknowledging patients' needs. Nurses are required to promote safe environment and health care, educate, and embrace a health policy for individuals of all ages and communities. Electronic health records are shared through network systems not only by patients but also by physicians, nurses, insurance personnel, government officials and more. This widespread access to health information requires finding ways for observing patients’ confidentiality and privacy by the users. This paper presents four central ethical issues stemming from the use of electronic records: the built-in conflict between nurses' quality care commitment to health system organization and their commitment to maintain patients' respect and privacy; the gap between the one-dimensional reporting of medical and therapeutic information through technological systems; the gap between the advantage of technological systems as being easy to operate and use and the risk of leaking confidential medical information, violating patients' privacy. 4) Conflict between nurses' classic professional identity as people who take care of and satisfy patients' needs and the new concept of nursing that advocates patients’ privacy, autonomy and dignity while learning new technological skills with all the advantages and disadvantages encompassed in it. This paper ends with a writes' point of view about ethical-technological solutions of the ethical issues.