Today we were back in the school of engineering after what felt like the longest, but one of the most fun, weekends ever. However, today we went to a different room (not the designated plus3 room) because it was project day. My group was assigned with finding a solution to dignity through defecation. Dignity through defecation is a major problem in many hospitals. Patients with mobility issues are forced to use the bathroom in bedpans and/or diapers with the assistance of a nurse. As you can imagine, this act can be extremely embarrassing and uncomfortable for many patients. In order to combat this, we designed a system where the patient can use the bathroom with no outside assistance. The way our design works is as follows: The patient’s mattress is split into 4 separate parts (bottom, top, and two components with a slit in the middle near the region where the patient’s butt would be); through the push of a button the middle section will separate and a toilet “cushion-like” seat will raise up; underneath this seat is a trash can with a disposable bag where the patient is free to use the bathroom; once the patient is finished, if they wish, they are able to be cleaned with a built in bidet system; finally, the nurse comes in to switch out and dispose of the bag.
It was such a great experience getting to work with my peers on a design that incorporated both nursing and engineering aspects. Not only that, it was also amazing getting to see what the other groups came up with. One group was tasked with mitigating falls, and they designed a system that raises the bed railings if the patient gets too close to the edge. Another group was tasked with preventing bed sores, and they designed a hospital gown with built in temperature sensors. The final group was tasked with safe and efficient patient transfer, and they designed a system with boards that worked to safely slide the patient to another bed. Everyone in this program is so intelligent and hardworking. It was amazing to see all our strengths come to life through this project!
The project took up the majority of the day, but we did still have time to visit the fine arts museum. Unfortunately, it started off poorly. As soon as we walked out of the school of engineering, it started POURING, and of course it had to happen on the one day I forgot an umbrella. When we finally made it to the museum, drenched and cold, we were treated to a guided tour. While I’m not too fond of guided tours and would much rather walk around appreciating the art for myself, it was pretty cool learning the history of some of the pieces there. Once the tour finished that was pretty much the end of our day!