Japan is Solving it’s Nursing Shortage with Nurse Robots.
Posted by realityrounds on August 28, 2009
Hi. I'm Nurse RR. How May I Hurt You?
This is RIBA. She/He is a Japanese nurse/robot/teddy bear (so cute!), who was invented to help ease the nursing shortage in Japan. RIBA, which stands for “Robot for Interactive Body Assistance”, can help nurses by lifting patients up to 135 pounds, out of their beds, off toilets and into wheelchairs, etc.
My guess is that nurses in the great United States don’t worry too much about moving patients who only weigh 135 pounds. Don’t think RIBA would be hired here in America. I know what you’re thinking. Nurse RR is a robot-hater. Nurse RR needs some cultural sensitivity training. Nurse RR needs to stop wathcing the Terminator. Yeah, whatever.
How would you like that thing coming at you in the dark at 2am to lift you off a toilet? ……shudder…..I mean really, think about it. It is a GIANT robot nurse teddy bear, with arms that look like semi-automatic weapons and a weird bear smile that says “do as I say earthling.” The bear/nurse/robot has an abnormally large chest wall and “dead-behind- the-eyes” gaze. The ears are kinda cute though. But still! This is creepy. The robot/nurse/bear thing has it’s joints adhered together with painter’s tape. That aint right.
I am going on the record to say I hate this robot/bear/nurse thingy. It is creepy, and I will refuse to interview it for a job. I don’t care if it is a member of the union or not. Go away now.
RR
Kathy said
LOL!!
Sarah said
Hmmm…I see awful images of little old ladies flailing helplessly in the cute little nurse/robot/bear arms. Yeah, this is too creepy for me.
Wanderer said
Now if we could get a robot that can lift 400lb. people off the commode and move them up in bed, that would be a good thing! Pssshh, 135lb LOLs are easy, robo-nurse is a light-weight!
realityrounds said
Exactly!
Joy said
When you said “nursing shortage” I thought you meant BREASTFEEDING! I thought the robot was supposed to “nurse” babies. OMG!!! LOL! I’m such a dork.
And for the record… I would NOT want that thing coming at me… ever!
realityrounds said
Ha, Ha.
Joy, you have milk brain.
TC said
I wouldn’t want it nursing me OR “nursing” me, if you know what I mean.
Julie said
Amen sister! go away freakish robot thingy!!!
Laura said
RR, it sounds like you could use robot insurance: http://www.hulu.com/watch/2340/saturday-night-live-old-glory (one of my favorite SNL skits ever!)
realityrounds said
Love it!
pinky said
I don’t know. My aching spine kind of likes the idea of this robot/hoyer lift being around. In my neck of the woods people are getting fatter than they used to be. 300 is the new 200 is our saying.
realityrounds said
Having a Robot assistance is tempting…..Fight that temptation girl!
sarah said
funny and creepy at the same time.
maha said
I’m just thinking of how many paranoid drunks that robot would scare off. Or how a raging drug seeker would respond to RIBA at triage! The possibilities for mayhem are nearly endless. Give it bunny ears and I’d hire it!
Jill said
Weird. This picture is exactly how I’ve always imagined you looking, only with less teal.
Sean said
Gee… what happens when it malfunctions/breaks/freezes in the middle of a patient lift? I’m with you. Keep it away.
mindexplosion said
Woah, that’s so crazy. I am not a fan.
I’d be a little creeped out if this thing came in to lift me off the toilet. Just saying.
kim said
I couldn’t tell you the last time I had a pt who weighed 135 or less.
Maybe the 26 year old with ESRD. I think that’s pretty much it….
Sigh.
Robot to ease nursing shortage | The Healthcare Staffing Blog said
[...] at Reality Rounds is a pretty funny response to the idea. What about you? Would you like to see this at your [...]