An Assessment of an Inpatient Robotic Nurse Assistant: A Mixed-Method Study

The worldwide nursing shortage has led to the exploration of using robotics to support care delivery and reduce nurses' workload. In this observational, mixed-method study, we examined the implementation of a robotic nurse assistant (RNA) in a hospital ward to support vital signs measurements, medication, and item delivery. Human-robot interaction was assessed in four domains: usability, social acceptance, user experience, and its societal impact. Patients in a general medicine ward were recruited to participate in a one-time trial with the RNA and a post-trial 75-question survey. Patients' interactions with the RNA were video recorded for analysis including patients' behaviours, facial emotions, and visual attention. Focus group discussions with nurses elicited their perceptions of working with the RNA, areas for improvement, and scalability. Sixty-seven patients aged 21-79 participated in the trial. Eight in 10 patients reported positive interactions with the RNA. When the RNA did not perform to expectations, only 25% of patients attributed fault to the RNA. Video analysis showed patients at ease interacting with the RNA despite some technical problems. Nurses saw potential for the RNA taking over routine tasks. However, they were sceptical of real time savings and were concerned with the RNA's ability to work well with older patients. Patients and nurses suggested greater interactivity between RNA and patients. Future studies should examine potential timesaving and whether time saved translated to nurses performing higher value clinical tasks. The utility of improved RNA's social capability in a hospital setting should be explored as well.