Guardians of humanity? The challenges of nursing practice in the digital age.

Digital technologies have become a crucial factor in nursing. Given the fact that many tasks could also be done by robots or AI systems, the place for the nurse in this scenario is unclear. In what way and to what extent will the implementation of ever more sophisticated technology affect nursing practice? It is the aim of this paper to analyse the potential challenges of nursing practice in the digital age. The analysis is conducted through the lens of new materialism, a set of theoretical models that understand the relationship between humans and technology as dynamic and performative. According to this view, there is no prefixed essence of technology. Rather, the meaning of technology is enacted in concrete practice. The analysis shows that in past debates on technology use in nursing, the nurses' role has been defined as guardians of humanity, defending the patient against the dehumanizing effects of technology. This role has been transferred to the digital age, where it is the duty of nurses to cushion the negative effects of digital technology. As an alternative to this outdated role, nurses should be included in processes of technology design and policymaking. Enabling nursing professionals to shape the circumstances of a digitally enhanced holistic practice may empower their status within the healthcare system and also benefit the patient by contributing to a more person-centred care.

[Impotence and belief in witchcraft: a medical treatise by the Ulm town physician Wolfgang Reichart (1486-1547)]. / Impotenz und Hexenglauben: Ein medizinischer Traktat des Ulmer Stadtarztes Wolfgang Reichart (1486­1547).

BACKGROUND: The belief in witchcraft influenced medical thinking and action in the 16th century. In a hitherto unknown treatise on impotence, the Ulmian town physician Wolfgang Reichart (1486-1547) has rationally explained it by using medical concepts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The treatise was transcribed, translated, and analyzed in terms of its sources, structure, and content. The results were compared with the concept of Johann Weyer (1515-1588). RESULTS: Reichart explains his patient's impotence as an acquired disease involving demons. Since demons act only naturally on the human body, the disease is naturally curable. The basis of the therapy is a medieval pathophysiological concept that combined ancient elements. CONCLUSIONS: Reichart's therapy differs from that of contemporary physicians because he treats the patient himself and does not send him to a theologian. Unlike Weyer, he offers a detailed pathophysiological concept in order to explain impotence medically.