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  • Exploring the Social Contexts of Exoskeleton Design and Implementation in Long-Term Care: A Study of Nurses and Nurse Managers with Musculoskeletal Disorders
Title: Exploring the Social Contexts of Exoskeleton Design and Implementation in Long-Term Care: A Study of Nurses and Nurse Managers with Musculoskeletal Disorders
Nurses face significant physical demands during patient care, leading to high rates of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among nurses in long-term care. Exoskeletons demonstrate promise in supporting nurses and nurse managers with MSDs; however, social contextual factors are crucial to their design and implementation. Through thematic analysis of 17 semi-structured interviews, this paper reveals social contextual factors important to exoskeleton use among nurses and nurse managers in long-term care. Participants expressed concerns about workplace discrimination, co-worker perceptions of their capabilities, and patient confidence. Our findings highlight the need for supportive organizational cultures and open communication channels. Recommendations include in-depth systems analysis to assess exoskeleton feasibility and efficacy, involving input from frontline nurses/managers, management, and patients. These findings can aid human factors and ergonomics (HF/E) experts in balancing social contextual factors and other work system elements to design work system contexts and exoskeletons that promote optimal outcomes in long-term care settings.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1839946
PAR ID:
10537679
Author(s) / Creator(s):
 ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  
Publisher / Repository:
SAGE Publications
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting
Volume:
68
Issue:
1
ISSN:
1071-1813
Format(s):
Medium: X Size: p. 535-541
Size(s):
p. 535-541
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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