Nurses' views on the potential use of robots in the pediatric unit

Abstract Purpose To describe nurses' views on the potential use of robots in the pediatric unit. Design and methods A qualitative descriptive design was employed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 nursing staff who worked in the pediatric unit. The interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results Three themes emerged related to the nurses' views on the potential use of robots in the pediatric unit (1) care impact - advantages, which included: (a) reducing healthcare providers' workload and (b) adequately meeting the needs of pediatric patients and their families; (2) care impact - shortcomings, which included: (a) deficiency of individualized care and (b) reduced employment opportunities for skilled nursing staff; and (3) attitude impact, including (a) lifelong learning and (b) integrating culture and technology to meet pediatric care needs. Conclusions Robots' application may ameliorate the overall quality of pediatric care, allowing for better apportioning of nurses' time and energies to focus on direct patient care and reducing nurses' workloads. However, some possible disadvantages need attention, including robots' inability to provide genuine human touch, demonstrate human emotions associated with pediatric care, and exhibit cultural sensitivity. It is desirable to embed nursing practice needs in the advanced functions of robots and thereby ensure safe, reliable robotics suitable for pediatric care usage. Practice implications The findings can be used as a reference for nurses encountering challenges in working with robots, and for lifelong learning needs for pediatric nurses.