Problem
Health care professionals, especially nurses frequently face significant physical demands in healthcare settings, particularly during patient handling and mobility tasks. These activities, such as transferring, lifting, repositioning, and ambulation, often result in physical strain and workplace injuries, contributing to reduced job satisfaction, increased staff turnover, and long-term health consequences. Routine, repetitive procedures further exacerbate physical stress, creating unsafe working conditions. Given the growing nursing shortage, it is crucial to address these challenges to ensure both workforce well-being and high-quality patient care.
Our approach
We are investigating the potential of exoskeleton technology to address physical strain in healthcare settings through the following key areas:
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Barriers to exoskeleton use among nursing professionals:
This study seeks to examine the viewpoints of registered nurses (RNs) and senior nursing students on the usage of exoskeleton technology in patient care. The study's goal is to obtain information on the usability, feasibility and perceived problems of introducing exoskeletons into jobs such as patient handling. This research will give a better knowledge of healthcare professionals' requirements, concerns, and expectations, which is essential for finding possibilities to improve workplace safety, maximize workflow integration, and increase user acceptance.
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Barriers to implementing exoskeletons in Healthcare settings: An interview study of nurse managers:
This study looks into the feasibility, benefits, and limitations of deploying exoskeleton technology in healthcare settings, with a focus on patient handling. The study's goal is to better understand how nurse managers evaluate exoskeletons in terms of safety, usability, and potential to improve patient care and prevent workplace injuries. The findings will be used to provide evidence-based recommendations for successfully and sustainably incorporating exoskeletons into healthcare practices.