Digital Ethics in Nursing: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Aim: To map the digital ethics studies published to date in the field of nursing. Background: The integration of digitalization in the healthcare sector, especially in nursing care, is increasing. However, digitalization in nursing can raise professional, personal, and ethical concerns among nurses. A thorough discussion of digital ethics in nursing is still lacking in the literature. Methods: A scoping review was registered in the Open Science Framework and reported here according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews guidelines. The PubMed, CINAHL, and Scopus databases were searched. The reference lists of included studies were also screened. The results were summarized and discussed using the patterns, advances, gaps, evidence, and recommendations methodology. Results: A total of 394 studies were identified, of which seven met the inclusion criteria and were included. Digital ethics have been investigated in the nursing field around three main themes: (i) knowledge and awareness of digital ethics; (ii) digital ethical violations in nursing care; and (iii) digital ethical violations regarding ethical principles. Discussion/Conclusion: Overall, the concept of digital ethics in nursing is still in its early stages. It should be further developed and harmonized to help researchers search the literature and clinicians find available evidence. Additionally, the patterns identified in studies can serve as the basis for a digital ethics framework, which should be further refined. Implications for Nursing and Health Policy: Digital technologies present several potential ethical implications at the (a) individual levels, affecting nurses and patients, and (b) collective levels, impacting all nurses, health systems, and citizens. Increasing awareness and knowledge, and developing guidelines specific to nursing, should be a priority to prevent and minimize risks. Codes of conduct should address these emerging issues and promote the ethical use of digital tools. Audits and monitoring systems should be established to detect additional risks and address them appropriately.