Automated Tray Collection Robot for Improving Nursing Staff Treatment
The Automated Tray Collection Robot improves nursing staff treatment by ensuring their meal and break times, significantly reducing their workload without additional hardware costs. This innovation promises substantial economic benefits by saving approximately $30.2 billion annually in nursing labor costs and addresses nurse retention issues caused by excessive workloads.
This invention aims to improve the treatment of nursing staff and ensure their meal and break times. A survey conducted by the National Health Workers’ Union in 2016 revealed that hospital workers had an average of only 39.2 minutes for meals and breaks per day, with nurses averaging 29.7 minutes. Many hospital workers, including nurses, often miss meals due to prioritizing patient meals, with tray collection being the most time-consuming task. If nursing staff could save time on tray collection, their meal times could increase significantly.
The invention is an automated robot designed to collect trays from all wards. Unlike most trays, which have uneven bottoms making them difficult to transport stably, this robot supports the flat sides of the trays, allowing for stable movement. The robot arm is designed in a swing arm style, widely used in automated industries for its ability to operate in small spaces and perform tasks from various angles.
Nurse shortages are a global issue, leading to deteriorating worker health, limited vacation use, higher turnover rates, increased medical errors, and declining quality of medical services. The automated tray collection robot can help reduce the workload on nursing staff, providing economic and industrial benefits.
First, the economic impact is significant. According to the WHO's "State of the World’s Nursing 2020," the international nursing workforce is about 27.9 million, with an average annual salary of $52,033. Replacing just 10 minutes of work per nurse with this invention could save approximately $30.2 billion annually.
Second, the industrial impact is crucial. The same WHO report states that to resolve nurse shortages by 2030, the number of nursing graduates must increase by 8% annually. However, in South Korea alone, about 10,000 nurses leave the profession each year due to excessive workloads and poor working conditions. Nearly half of these nurses cite excessive non-nursing duties as the reason for their resignation. By ensuring meal and break times, this invention can improve nurse retention and address issues stemming from nurse shortages.
