To meet this challenge, RoMed Kliniken and Berlin-based robotics specialist German Bionic have therefore embarked on a forward-looking partnership to make working conditions in the nursing profession safer, healthier and more sustainable. In future, the active, fully-connected and AI-supported Apogee+ exoskeletons will be deployed. The power suits have been specially developed to provide dynamic support for care staff in their day-to-day work. “Equipping our nursing staff – who make a decisive contribution to the quality of our clinics – with state-of-the-art exoskeletons will help to reduce the physical strain involved in their work, allowing them to focus more on what they value most about their profession: being close to and interacting with the patients,” explains Judith Hantl-Merget, Director of Nursing at RoMed Kliniken.
Drawing on the latest findings from nursing research, the Apogee+ exoskeleton has been optimally designed and equipped for deployment in day-to-day work in hospitals, nursing homes, and other care facilities. It eases the strain on nursing staff when lifting and walking, is comfortable to wear, protected against the effects of soiling and water, and fulfills specific criteria for the healthcare sector, such as easy disinfection.
Flexible support for numerous routine tasks in the care sector
The innovative exoskeleton technology enhances the safety and well-being of care staff by relieving the strain placed on their backs by up to 36 kilograms per lifting movement, making it significantly easier to mobilize patients. Examples include lifting and moving patients from beds into wheelchairs and vice versa, assisting with medical examinations, lifting during washing and changing, repositioning immobile patients or helping them to get into an upright or more comfortable position.
Without support, these activities can be hazardous to health in the long term. However, it is not only a question the lifting itself, but also about performing the tasks ergonomically. “Our nursing staff frequently need to work in awkward, bent-forward positions such as when treating wounds. These postures are often unergonomic,” explains the nursing director. “The exoskeleton also offers valuable support in such situations thanks to its counterforce mode.”
Studies show that nursing staff with physically demanding working conditions often leave their profession prematurely. In addition, health insurance company data shows an increasingly high rate of time lost due to sick leave. “In view of the acute care crisis, innovative concepts are needed. The Apogee+ exoskeleton contributes to easing the highly stressful working conditions that are sometimes present in these system- critical professions and to making them healthier and more sustainable,” says Armin G. Schmidt, CEO and founder of German Bionic.
The RoMed Kliniken have chosen to implement modern technology in order to lighten the workload of nursing staff and protect their health. The dynamic exoskeletons are especially designed to support physically demanding tasks and thereby contribute to a long-term reduction in musculoskeletal disorders. Ten exoskeletons, valued at 150,000 euros, will initially be used in the RoMed network of clinics. The plan is to establish ten units at each of the four clinic locations. However, funding is yet to be secured for this. “The declared aim is to transform nursing activities in the long term through the effective use of modern technologies and innovative approaches. These developments serve to support nursing staff in their valuable work and improve the quality of care. Financial resources are required to achieve these ambitious goals. The RoMed Kliniken are therefore dependent on support, be it through donations or funding, in order to actively shape the future of nursing,” urges the clinic’s Director of Nursing, Judith Hantl-Merget.
The “Freunde der RoMed Kliniken e.V.” (Friends of the RoMed Clinics) association is grateful for all donations to its account at Sparkasse Rosenheim-Bad Aibling, IBAN DE87 7115 0000 0000 0201 72.
About RoMed Kliniken in the city and district of Rosenheim
With over 1,000 beds, the municipal RoMed Kliniken in Bad Aibling, Prien am Chiemsee, Rosenheim and Wasserburg am Inn treat around 44,000 inpatients and, together with the MVZ (medical care center) practices, a total of 115,000 outpatients every year. Around 4,000 employees look after the well-being of patients around the clock. Numerous awards and certifications confirm the high quality of the comprehensive medical services. All locations feature central emergency wards. The RoMed group of clinics is one of the region’s largest employers with several training centers and four university teaching hospitals in the city and district. www.romed-kliniken.de
More information about the RoMed Kliniken support association
Further background information on the Apogee+ exoskeleton for nursing professions
