Analysis of ICU Nurses' Needs for Intelligent Excreta Nursing Robots: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study in China

Background/Objectives: As the number of critically ill patients continues to rise, intensive care unit (ICU) nurses bear a heavy nursing workload, within which excretion care is particularly time-consuming and labor-intensive. Although intelligent excreta nursing robots hold the potential to alleviate this burden and improve the quality of care, their widespread application in the ICU setting remains limited. Therefore, systematically analyzing the specific needs of ICU nurses is of profound significance for guiding the research and development of clinically adaptable robotic systems. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted in this study. Kano model-based questionnaires were administered to 401 clinical intensive care unit (ICU) nurses from 83 hospitals in China to analyze requirement attributes, and AHP-based questionnaires were distributed to 102 experts to evaluate the importance of these requirements. Results: Among the 16 s-level need items identified via the Kano model, five were classified as must-be quality attributes, where non-fulfillment significantly reduced satisfaction with the robot; three as one-dimensional quality attributes, demonstrating a positive linear correlation between fulfillment and user satisfaction; six as attractive quality attributes, where fulfillment substantially enhanced satisfaction; and two as indifferent quality attributes, exerting minimal impact on satisfaction. Furthermore, the AHP determined the relative importance weights of the first-level need items (totaling 100%), ranked in descending order as follows: safety assurance (36.89%), high-quality excreta handling function (30.29%), sustainable usage (22.21%), and harmonious human-machine-environment interaction (10.61%). Conclusions: In conclusion, the priority sequence for fulfilling ICU nurses' requirements regarding intelligent excreta nursing robots dictates that safety assurance must serve as the fundamental prerequisite. This is followed by refining the core technologies for high-quality excreta handling, addressing key demands for sustainable usage and harmonious human-robot interaction, and ultimately accommodating other secondary needs.