Ethics of nursing in the digital age: perceptions and challenges among Korean nursing students

作者：Hwa-Mi Yang, Young-Eun Jang · 发表于：BMC Medical Ethics · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1186/s12910-025-01301-6 · 被引用次数：11 · 研究领域：Medicine

The advancement of digital technologies has brought transformative changes across the healthcare sector, and nursing is no exception. However, existing research has largely overlooked the ethical challenges nursing students face in real-world clinical settings, including dilemmas arising from the integration of artificial intelligence, patient privacy, and digital communication. This study explored nursing students’ perceptions and challenges regarding nursing ethics in the digital age, focusing on the ethical dilemmas they face and their strategies for resolution. We conducted two focus group interviews with 13 nursing students from two universities in Seoul, South Korea. Discussions centered on their experiences with ethical conflicts in digital healthcare environments. Nursing students frequently experienced ethical tensions between utilizing digital information and protecting patient privacy, including concerns about photographing EMR screens and using patient data without explicit consent. Many reported confusion in ethical decision-making due to unclear institutional guidelines and insufficient practical guidance. A notable gap existed between theoretical ethics education and its application in digital contexts. Introducing AI in clinical settings further complicates ethical reasoning, raising questions about trust, accountability, and verification of AI-driven decisions. Students also highlighted ethical risks in digital communication, such as improper use of hospital ...