Technology-Based Education and Training System for Nursing Professionals

Abstract

Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) are one of the most significant health hazards for nurses causing a high rate of sick leave and exit the profession before the retirement age. In this context, physically heavy tasks like lifting patients frequently in awkward stooped or forced postures lead to constant high physical stresses and thus to MSD and physical deterioration. Therefore, in order to reduce physical load, a focus must be placed on the education and training of nurses on ergonomically correct working techniques. At present, technical assistance for the analysis of ergonomic working methods is rarely used in nursing training. In this work, we present a novel sensor system to improve the educational processes in the healthcare profession. The system includes three-dimensional optical sensors, a wearable sensor suit, a ground reaction force plate and surface electromyography to record and analyze nursing tasks. The system is tested and evaluated in a case study with nursing students (n 13) during a simulated transfer task. The system provided in-depth evaluation of the conducted transfer and increased the feedback quality of an instructor compared to conventional training methods.