Care Robots: From Tools of Care to Training Opportunities. Moral Considerations

New technology should not perceived as a threat: on the contrary, it is a resource. It is our job to use it in the most appropriate way. Moreover, new technology can make a significant contribution to nurse training: for example, immersion into virtual reality with a visor and a simple application does not only allow one to experience fantastic adventures, but also to enjoy a relationship with the patient through simulation. Also, virtual reality can promote patient/teacher interaction: both, for example, can be projected or immersed in virtual reality, or the teacher can project his ‘virtual’ image into a real scenario. However, robots too could contribute to training nursing staff: health operator training courses today widely use dummies which are appropriately planned for standing training. They are increasingly true-to-life, favouring empathy with the clinical situation simulated each time and allowing the student to exercise not only technical abilities, but also critical thinking, the ability to work in a team and communication skills. We shall examine some moral questions linked to the increasingly frequent use of human-faceted robots to train nursing staff.