http://www.gameshout.com/news/robot_nurses_could_be_a_realit y_by_2010/article8910.htm
hell my old hospital would dance in the streets.. I can see it now
staff in 2011
1 real RN
1 LPN
3 techs
and 5 robots for 34 patients.
if they can cut staff to nothing they will..
For the kinds of tasks they are suggesting that they are doing this might not be a bad thing. I've watched those nurses on the floor and the ER work their butts off. They are so busy that they get little chance to do true nursing, care of the patient. No matter how hard so many nurses hustle, they cannot give all the care their patients need. This would be a good thing if they don't reduce the number or people nurses and just added this as a service to help improve patient care. But you are probably right, they'll abuse it and use it as an excuse to have fewer nurses. Seems like they have a long way to go before that happens.
Personally, I want a human nurse giving my medications and can you imagine where a robot might end up putting a thermometer?