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Vol. 1 No. 2 (2024)

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May 25, 2026
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December 31, 2024

Copyright (c) 2024 Abdullah Mohammed Ahmed Hakami, Abdulaziz Saad Al Dhwayan, Hayat Abdu Mohammad Fegihi, Basmah Ismail Mohamed Shabi, Yara Khalid Alkhadim, Khaled Ali Abdullah Hazaz, Dima Jaber Ahmed Al-Ahmadi, Salem Ibrahim Ali Al-Ghamdi, Basheer Dhaher Mahdi Alanazi, Majed Muhammad Ali Oraigyi

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The Impact of Wearable Biometric Monitoring on Professional Autonomy and Moral Distress in Nursing and Restorative Dentistry: Balancing Surveillance with Empowerment Across Clinical Disciplines

https://doi.org/10.64483/202412714
Abdullah Mohammed Ahmed Hakami
Samtah Primary Care Center, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia
Abdulaziz Saad Al Dhwayan
Dawadmi Hospital,Ministry of Health , Saudi Arabia
Hayat Abdu Mohammad Fegihi
Al mingarah PHC,Ministry of Health , Saudi Arabia
Basmah Ismail Mohamed Shabi
Samtah Primary Care Center, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia
Yara Khalid Alkhadim
Al-Jouf Specialized Dental Center, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia
Khaled Ali Abdullah Hazazi
Primary Care Center in Khubt Al-Kharsh, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia
Dima Jaber Ahmed Al-Ahmadi
Ministry Of Health , Saudi Arabia
Salem Ibrahim Ali Al-Ghamdi
Alaqiq PHC – Al Baha,Ministry of Health , Saudi Arabia
Basheer Dhaher Mahdi Alanazi
Health Crisis and Disaster Management Center, Tabuk Region,Ministry of Health , Saudi Arabia
Majed Muhammad Ali Oraigyi
Jazan Specialized Hospital,Ministry of Health , Saudi Arabia

Corresponding Author(s) : Abdullah Mohammed Ahmed Hakami

abmhakami@moh.gov.sa

Saudi Journal of Medicine and Public Health, Vol. 1 No. 2 (2024)

Abstract

Background: Wearable biometric monitoring devices (e.g., smart badges, posture sensors, force-sensing instruments) are increasingly deployed in nursing and restorative dentistry to enhance patient safety and procedural precision. However, continuous data generation introduces tensions between surveillance and professional autonomy in both fields. Aim: To critically review the impact of wearable biometric monitoring on professional autonomy and moral distress in nursing and restorative dentistry, exploring the balance between technological surveillance and professional empowerment. Methods: A narrative review was conducted across CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus, and dental informatics databases (2015–2024). Forty peer-reviewed articles were synthesized thematically, including nursing (n=28) and restorative dentistry (n=12) literature. Results: Wearables improve patient outcomes and procedural accuracy but risk reducing professional autonomy through algorithmic oversight, performance tracking, and posture/force monitoring. Moral distress arises from surveillance-induced role conflict, data misuse fears, and tension between machine recommendations and clinical judgment. Empowerment occurs when professionals co-design protocols, access real-time data for decision-making, and use wearables as decision support rather than supervisory tools. Conclusion: Balancing surveillance with empowerment requires transparent governance, profession-led implementation, and ethical frameworks adapted to nursing and restorative dentistry contexts. 

Keywords

Wearable biometric monitoring; nurse autonomy; moral distress; restorative dentistry; professional empowerment; clinical surveillance.
Hakami, A. M. A., Abdulaziz Saad Al Dhwayan, Hayat Abdu Mohammad Fegihi, Basmah Ismail Mohamed Shabi, Yara Khalid Alkhadim, Khaled Ali Abdullah Hazazi, … Majed Muhammad Ali Oraigyi. (2024). The Impact of Wearable Biometric Monitoring on Professional Autonomy and Moral Distress in Nursing and Restorative Dentistry: Balancing Surveillance with Empowerment Across Clinical Disciplines. Saudi Journal of Medicine and Public Health, 1(2), 2497–2506. https://doi.org/10.64483/202412714
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