e scientific medical data about a patient, which is communicated to the nurse through a physician and/or other medical professionals. This often includes ordering required testing, gathering clinical information, and diagnosing the patient. The independent role of the nurse is thus supported through technological advances by allowing the nurse to remain patient focused: spending time with that patient, establishing the important roles of communicator, educator and patient advocate while making independent decisions for that patient.Dear Editor,In response to the 1998 article “Technology and True Presence in Nursing” published in the Holistic Nursing Practice journal, in relation to technological advances in medicine, I would disagree with the assumption that nurses may view their patients as an “extension of a machine” that displays only digital information to medical personnel. We must not forget that nursing is not only a science, but also an art that is optimally effective when both are incorporated toward patient care. We cannot expect nurses to provide the highest quality care toward someone who is viewed as a mechanism for data. Effective nursing includes a caring aspect and promotion of growth toward a patient that cannot be replaced or de-emphasized by technology....
