HLT101: AI, Ethics, and Nursing: Reflecting Together

Dr Ros Prichard

Alright, everyone, welcome back to the Weekly Wrap—our final episode before the big quiz! I’m Ros Prichard, and as always I’m joined for one last time by Neha and Ethan.

Dr Ros Prichard

Deepak and Gwen have been delivering the last tutes this week and, I have to say, when I look back on this semester’s HLT101 journey, I’m just struck by how every topic—be it ageing, adolescent health, the social determinants of health—loops right back to the crux of good nursing: respect , communication, connection, cultural safety ---- I mean, it’s all intertwined, isn’t it? We really are all in this together !

Neha Kapoor

Absolutely, Ros. It is about seeing people within their contexts. I keep thinking of a case study from earlier—one of our tutorials looked at family homelessness and its impact on children’s health. Hearing how we need to approach the upstream solutions—not just patching up the problem, but asking, “What’s keeping this family out of secure housing in the first place?”—. So much comes back to asking, who don’t we see and how can we support them better?

Ethan Clarke

That’s right, Neha. The impacts in real life are kind of stark, especially in the work with Indigenous communities. You see pretty quickly that equity isn’t just a word we toss about: access to care, connection to country, these aren’t add-ons—they’re make or break for health outcomes. When those links get cut, the effects ripple out. But when we use what we’ve learned—those lifespan development theories and social justice frameworks, that lens of person-centred care—it’s not just theory, it’s the backbone for measuring what actually matters in our practice. I reckon if you’re applying that lens, you’re doing alright.

Dr Ros Prichard

I love that. It’s like every week’s topic—right from lifespan theories to social justice in older age—nudged us to pay attention to the interconnecting webs, not just the strands. And as health professionals, just by our communication, care, and listening, we can make an important impact on whether people in our care feel able to access the care they need. Thats a strong theme coming through in the best Task 3 work we re marking at the moment. Access is linked to whether those health care environments are welcoming and supportive.

Dr Ros Prichard

And for those panicking about the final quiz—quick reminder, it opens on Monday! You’ve got all week till Friday the 31st of October to show what’s landed. But honestly, just pausing to see how much thinking has shifted is a win in itself.

Neha Kapoor

So true, Ros. And speaking of, should we tiptoe—or maybe wade—into the fascinating soup that is AI? Because, the students aren’t shy about asking, “How much tech is too much?” or “Is using AI cheating?” . It’s an evolving conversation for all of us- students and faculty alike.

Dr Ros Prichard

I’ll be the first to admit—AI’s already seeped into how I teach and prepare content. I’ve used it to clarify course announcements , draft consistent discussion board posts, making sure my feedback is as student focussed as possible . But, I always have to go back and edit. Everyone is getting pretty good at spotting “AI slop”—and let’s face it, those overly generic bits never feel good. Keeping a sense of your own ‘voice’ is the hard bit, but it’s crucial. AI’s brilliant at planning, tidying up feedback, or smoothing out an angry email, but like, if you hand it the whole steering wheel, you miss the learning and the connections (neural AND social). And none of us want a robot taking all the credit… because they sure won't be taking the blame.

Ethan Clarke

I’ve gotta say, I like calling it “AI soup”—because some days what comes out is nourishing, and sometimes you’re left wondering, “What even is this?” The ethical lines get very blurry too: what does being transparent about AI use look like? What’s happening to all the prompts and data we feed these systems? And then there’s— Copyright theft? Not to mention the environmental side, with massive data centres pulling huge amounts of energy . It’s a lot to chew over.

Neha Kapoor

Yes, and there are practical risks in over-relying on technology—for instance, missing those personal details that matter so much in care planning or missing opportunities to link new knowledge for ourselves. Transparency isn’t just a uni policy—it’s the start of developing trust, with our patients and… with ourselves, really. And full disclosure I dont actually exist!

Ethan Clarke

Me neither Neha- Ros uses this AI generated podcast (and our AI generated selves) ---to cover weekly topics - But quite frankly it takes a lot more work than it did last year when she and Gwen simply recorded themselves chatting through the weeks events.

Dr Ros Prichard

Too right Ethan- This podcast takes a shedload of time to edit and its still quite stilted .

Ethan Clarke

Hmmmmm I feel a bit awkward (except I havent got any feelings)........But getting back on track ......The analogy I keep coming back to is the co-pilot, right? AI can help steer, give warnings, even plot a course. But you’re still the pilot in charge—or you should be. We need to treat AI with a lot of critical distance… you know, keep our brains sharp, make sure it’s supporting our learning rather than just spoon-feeding us stuff we might not understand or worse, never check.

Neha Kapoor

And that’s where integrity and standards in nursing come in, doesn’t it? If you’re open about using AI for planning or to check your work now, you’re developing habits of declaration, of transparency. Those are the same foundations for building trust with your patients and colleagues down the road. So, I challenge everyone listening: what commitment will you make for using technology thoughtfully next semester? Maybe set some boundaries—like always double checking AI suggestions and being clear where your work begins and ends.

Dr Ros Prichard

Brilliant. Here’s my own commitment: I’m going to keep AI as a brainstorming partner, not a ghostwriter. And I’ll keep flagging when something’s been AI-assisted, (like this podcast). And since it’s our last wrap for the semester, let’s invite everyone listening to take a breath and reflect— Whats one take away this week?

Ethan Clarke

For me, it’s about keeping curiosity alive—I’ll keep asking, “Does this tech help me connect better with people? Or is it adding a layer and I need to rethink?” If it’s the latter, maybe it’s time to put the laptop away and just listen.

Neha Kapoor

And I’ll be continuing to lead by example—declaring my tools upfront and always centring humanity in how I teach and learn. And, a small reminder again: the final quiz is opening Monday, and you have until Friday, 31st October—try to keep calm, focus on your learning, and let us know how you go!

Dr Ros Prichard

Alright, friends, if there’s one take-home from this tech-ethics chat, it’s that we, as nurses, can and should play an active role in shaping how AI is used in our workplaces. This isn’t something just for managers or techies. Whether you’re on placement or already part of a team, nurses actually have the frontline know-how to call out when AI tools do—or don’t—serve patient-centred care safely or ethically.

Ethan Clarke

I agree. There are always chances—committees, feedback forms, informal chats with leadership AND right now the Evaluate Student surveys!—where you can raise concerns about digital systems, privacy, or how transparent we’re being with patients, and studnents too, about what’s running in the background. That’s digital leadership, even if your job title isn’t ‘chief information nurse.’ It starts with asking, “Is this making care safer, more personal, and more just?”

Dr Ros Prichard

Oh, and don’t forget—Task 3 marks are coming November 10th. And Do keep in touch with us! We’d absolutely love to hear how your placements and studies go next year—and maybe, just maybe, a few of you will be back soon for honours or a masters. Stranger things have happened, right?

Neha Kapoor

Thank you for sharing this journey with us, everyone. Stay true to your values, stay reflective, and take care of yourselves—and each other. Have a gentle week, and best wishes for the quiz!

Dr Ros Prichard

Thanks, Neha and Ethan—and to all our listeners. Can’t wait to see how you write your own story of ethical practice. Until next time, goodbye from all of us!

Ethan Clarke

Take care, folks— this is Ethan signing off.

Neha Kapoor

Bye everyone