A Scale Development Study: Ethical Sensitivity Towards Artificial Intelligence and Robot Nurses

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Artificial Intelligence
• Nursing Ethics

Background:

• Socially assistive robots (SARs) offer monitoring, coaching, and companionship in healthcare.
• The integration of AI and robot nurses raises significant ethical concerns and dilemmas.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a measurement tool for assessing ethical sensitivity towards AI and robot nurses.
• To provide a reliable instrument for evaluating ethical considerations in the application of healthcare robots.

Main Methods:

• A methodological study involving scale development through literature review and interviews.
• Scale validation included construct validity, criterion-related validity, and reliability testing.
• Data collected from 356 nursing students in Turkey.

Main Results:

• The developed Ethical Sensitivity Scale for Artificial Intelligence and Robot Nurses has 17 items across four sub-dimensions.
• The scale demonstrated good reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.83) and validity (KMO = 0.76).
• Confirmatory Factor Analysis confirmed the scale's fit indices.

Conclusions:

• The Ethical Sensitivity Scale for Artificial Intelligence and Robot Nurses is a valid and reliable measurement tool.
• The scale is recommended for use across diverse populations and cultural contexts.
• This tool can aid in understanding and addressing ethical challenges posed by healthcare AI and robotics.