This review considers reducing the physical demands for the nursing profession with the use of innovative technology, such as exoskeletons. Nursings repetative and strenuous load tasks, added with long shifts and fatigue puts nursing in the high risk category for the risk of work-related injuries . Never mind adding the risk of verbal and physical harm from occupational violence incidents. There are both benefits and challenges to address associate with the use of exosekeletons in the healthcare setting.

Journal Club Article:

Vallée, A. (2024). Exoskeleton technology in nursing practice: assessing effectiveness, usability, and impact on nurses’ quality of work life, a narrative review. BMC nursing, 23(1), 156.

“The review focuses on the reduction of physical strain and fatigue, improved posture and body mechanics, enhanced patient care, usability and acceptance factors, and the broader impact on work life.”The review focuses on the reduction of physical strain and fatigue, improved posture and body mechanics, enhanced patient care, usability and acceptance factors, and the broader impact on work life.”

Vallée, 2024

Benefits:

• Reduce physical strain
• Improve posture and body mechanics
• Reduce physical fatigue
• Enhance patient care
• Enhance job satisfaction

Challenges:

• Usability and acceptance
• Comfort and fit
• Ease of use and integration (? the history of healthcare and technology integration)
• User experience and training
• Feedback and iterative design
• Cost and accessibility
• Durability and maintenance (we can break anything in the clinical setting unless it is total destructive proof).
• Ethical considerations
• Another opportunity to create more policies and guidelines around a change in practice.

Related Posts

Nursing Education Network. (2022). Wearable Robotics.

Nursing Education Network. (2021). Technology: Exoskeleton.