Research in the Rehabilitation Unit Presents Challenges to Nurse Researchers.

Purpose: Gathering data from patients on a rehabilitation unit poses challenges for nurse researchers.

Design: A case study is presented that describes ways the researchers attempted to meet these challenges while conducting their study.

Methods: The case study presents the approaches that the investigators took to undertake the study and then described the ways in which these approaches could have been improved.

Pilot testing the augmentech body position sensor on the morbidly obese patient.

The Augmentech Body Position Sensor (ABPS), a device for monitoring patient repositioning, was tested for use in morbidly obese patients. Specific aims were to: determine whether there was correspondence between data on patient turning and repositioning from the ABPS and data gathered through human observation; determine whether the ABPS is an acceptable instrument for measuring body movements in morbidly obese patients in terms of ease of use, comfort and ability to stay in place. A descriptive study was conducted.