More Hospitals are Having Robots Fill in for Nurses Suffering from Burnout

Millions of nurses all over the U.S. are being stretched to their breaking points as they’re asked to take on more patients. The ongoing nursing shortage isn’t getting any better as healthcare workers increasingly suffer from burnout and fatigue. But some providers are getting help from an unlikely source. Robots are starting to fill in the gaps when there aren’t enough nurses to go around, and some providers say they are thankful for the help.

An Extra Pair of Hands

If you visit Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, Virginia, you will see the nurses working alongside a robot named Moxi. It’s six feet tall with two electronic eyes and a multi-jointed arm that can pick up items from various angles. The built-in camera helps Moxi avoid objects and patients as it navigates the halls. It is usually busy bringing medications, equipment, and personal supplies to providers on nearly every floor, but it has to ask a human for help to use the elevator. Nurses can call the robot via text message or assign it a task using a nearby kiosk.

Abigail Hamilton, a nurse at Mary Washington, said she appreciates the extra pair of hands. She said it can add an extra 30 minutes to her day by saving her a trip to the basement or fifth floor to get supplies.

This is just one of several robots being implemented in healthcare settings. Moxi has been roaming the halls of some of the largest hospitals in the country since the start of the pandemic.

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