How do you feel about a robot as your nurse assistant?

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Specializes in Sm Bus Mgmt, Operations, Planning, HR, Coaching.

Read more about how one facility in Texas is using technology to face a future shortage of nurses.

Medical City Dallas' one-armed, bright-eyed Moxi is regions first full-time nursing robot

Tell us about your experience using technology to ease your work load. Do you work next to a robot? Or do you have a robot as an assistant? Do you think this is the answer to future nurse shortages?

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I think the answer to the nurse shortage is for hospitals to hire more nurses. When they can make robots that can do P care, change bedding, insert Foleys, etc. that's when they would be most useful. I think the cost of such a device will easily outweigh the benefits at this time. But I also encourage development of anything that can help.

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Can the robots clean these patients? and/or document accurate I&o's? Or lift bariatric patients?

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Specializes in Dialysis.

Hotels have these. They bring drinks, snacks, toiletries, etc. I read the article and it states that it will do mundane tasks, like taking specimens to lab, etc. Like hotels, will probably get drinks, snacks, linens, etc. This will free up the staff for other issues. Unless short staffing gets even worse, and humans aren't replaced as needed. I couldn't imagine that happening, though ?

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

Sounds like there would be a benefit to having something that could fetch stuff.

However - a machine can't do all the things we do that constitute patient care. So a robot might be a handy tool. It cannot replace any existing staff members.

And I'm sure hospital administration will see it that way too...

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Specializes in Cardiology.

They could hire more staff for the cost of one of these things. It's amazing how hospitals find excuses not to hire more people then waste money on things like this.

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Perhaps I could (someday) do lengthy documentation the same way some people do a text message... Speak into the mic and let the electronic device convert the speech into words. It would be like talking to "Alexa" and giving it a command.

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Doctors speak into the microphone and it types for them, I could use one of their computers but I type faster than I talk and most of my required charting Can only be done with mouse clicks...

how do they clean the robot, is it sanitary after going in patient rooms, does it wash its hands, looks like a big mobile fomite

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Specializes in Psych.

I am fascinated by the use of artificial intelligence and robotics. Obviously there are many things a robot could not do for the patient, I think that robots as a tool for nurses, not a replacement would be cool.

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Specializes in retired LTC.
On ‎4‎/‎10‎/‎2020 at 10:43 PM, toxicodendron25 said:

how do they clean the robot, is it sanitary after going in patient rooms, does it wash its hands, looks like a big mobile fomite

FOMITE FOMITE FOMITE

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Specializes in Supervisor.
On 2/17/2020 at 11:45 AM, Julie said:

Do you think this is the answer to future nurse shortages? 

No. It's not the answer but it will be a part of the future reality of healthcare.

Nurses need to wake up.

We are expendable to the hospital. The millisecond that hospital figures out how to create a robot that has the judgement and physical ability of a nurse, there will be a mass layoff/firing of nurses.

This will likely happen after my time as a nurse. Maybe in another 30-50 years?

But, I do think ambulatory nurses will be replaced significantly before acute care nurses. Ambulatory nursing triage will be through artificial intelligence through an app on a person's phone and that's how a patient will interact with their doctor. Medical assistants are actively replacing the requirement of nurses to be physically in clinics.

An app doesn't need sick time, FMLA, medical benefits, or a salary.

It's only a matter of time folks.

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Specializes in retired LTC.
18 minutes ago, AnonymousSuper said:

... Nurses need to wake up.

... An app doesn't need sick time, FMLA, medical benefits, or a salary.

It's only a matter of time folks.

Neither is orientation time, vacation time, holiday coverage, education reimbursement, etc. And the bane of all, the threat of UNIONIZATION!

Well said, AnonymousSuper.

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