[Nursing and technology--a closer look at a high tension topic. Essay on the current situation. Part 1]

Due to substantial changes in society and reform processes in health care, Professional Nursing practice today is facing great challenges. Nursing Sciences can be considered as an answer to these challenges. One of Nursing Sciences'pressing tasks is the discussion of the relationship between nursing and technology in a health care environment with an ever increasing level of technology. A detailed discussion and analysis of this problem in the German speaking countries is yet to happen. In order to start the above-mentioned discussion this article will critically summarize the current status of the international debate on the relationship of technology and nursing. This first part focuses on traditional, essentialist interpretation. The second part will depict the current international arguments in view of the dialectic relationship of nursing and technology.