Nurses' Perceptions and Utilization Plans for Applying Companion Robots to Acute Stroke Patient Care: A Delphi Study.

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Robotics
• Gerontology

Background:

• Acute stroke patients require continuous physical and mental health support.
• Companion robots offer potential solutions for enhancing patient care and reducing healthcare professional burden.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore nurses' perceptions and utilization plans for companion robots in acute stroke care.
• To gather data for developing stroke-specific companion robots.
• To identify barriers and solutions for implementing companion robots in acute stroke settings.

Main Methods:

• The Delphi technique was employed, surveying 14 nurses from neurology and stroke intensive care units.
• Three rounds of surveys were conducted to reach consensus.

Main Results:

• A total of 54 items were finalized, covering nurse/patient education, impacts on care, required robot functions for stroke patients, and design elements.
• Cronbach's α was 0.78, indicating good reliability of the survey instrument.

Conclusions:

• Companion robots are poised to improve physical and emotional care for acute stroke patients, functioning as a valuable nursing intervention.
• Robots can decrease nurse workload, elevate nursing care quality, and bolster patient safety.
• Successful integration necessitates harmonious robot utilization and enhanced robot-related competencies among nursing staff.