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High-quality, homely care room with a medical care unit

Nurses walk an average of about 4–6 km per shift

Nurses walk up to 6 km per shift—often due to poor infrastructure. Well-designed supply units reduce walking distances, ease staff workload, and noticeably improve workflows.

Artikel-ID: M2026-012
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“Nurses walk an average of about 4–6 km per shift—voluntarily?”

 No. They walk because utility connections are poorly placed. A small change to utility units can drastically shorten this distance. 

Studies show that nurses walk an average of 4–6 km during an 8-hour shift—whether in intensive care units or general wards (PubMed, 2023; BMC Human Resources for Health, 2022). 

Nurses don’t walk too much because they work inefficiently — they walk too much because the infrastructure forces them to. A key factor here is medical supply units, which have evolved over time in many hospitals and are often poorly planned. Connections for electricity, gases, and data are located where they “fit” structurally, not where they are actually needed in daily practice. They are often concentrated on the wall behind the patient—practical from an installation standpoint, but completely impractical from a nursing perspective. 
Nurses work from both sides of the bed, must react flexibly to situations, and need access to equipment at all times. When connections are available on only one side, this results in unnecessary walking, interrupted workflows, and increased strain. 
 
Our solution at Schyns Medizintechnik: 
Whenever possible, we position connections on the sides and on both sides of the bed. This ensures that supply units align with actual workflows, not just architectural requirements. 
The result can lead to shorter distances, more efficient processes, more time for patients—and a noticeable reduction in the workload for nursing staff. 
Medical technology must adapt to people, not the other way around. 

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Photo: Jennifer Schröder 

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