Through the help of the Great Plains IDeA Clinical and Translational Research program and partnering with Nebraska Medicine, five senior University of Nebraska-Lincoln mechanical engineering students took on a challenge project to develop a hospital recliner specifically for individuals with dwarfism. Nebraska Medicine NOW recently profiled their work.
Providing compassionate care means making sure every patient and visitor feels comfortable and respected.
One example of this in action is when Nebraska Medicine recently partnered with a group of University of Nebraska-Lincoln college students on a groundbreaking senior capstone project to develop a hospital recliner specifically for individuals with dwarfism.
The project began when physical and occupational therapists noticed a lack of suitable equipment for patients with dwarfism. Kellie Clapper, manager of Nebraska Medicine Rehabilitation Services, initiated the project to find a solution. Traditional hospital recliners and beds often are too large and don’t adjust to functional heights, making transfers and positioning difficult. Pediatric equipment is too narrow and lacks the weight capacity for adult patients with dwarfism.
“In the past, we’ve tried modifying environments – placing patients in low beds, for example – but this was only a temporary solution,” Clapper said. “We wanted to do better.”
With the help of the Great Plains IDeA Clinical and Translational Research program, hosted at UNMC, five senior UNL mechanical engineering students took on the challenge. They researched the anatomical and ergonomic needs of this unique population and realized pediatric-sized furniture wouldn’t work.
They decided to design a custom hospital recliner chair for people with dwarfism. The students determined the proper measurements, modeled the chair in CAD software and built a prototype using parts from retired hospital recliners and a giant sheet of metal.
“A chair looks pretty straight-forward on the surface, but it’s actually pretty challenging to create reclining mechanisms,” said McCaylee Dempcy, one of the UNL students who worked on the project. “We tweaked things multiple times until we got it to work, and then we built the chair around it with wood and other donated supplies.”
After nearly 1,200 hours of work, the students completed the chair in May 2024, showcased it to their fellow senior design students and professors and delivered it to Nebraska Medicine. They received an A on their project.
“We were proud of our project because it had a real-world impact,” Dempcy said. “It feels good knowing our work could impact actual patients.”
Once the prototype arrived at Bellevue Medical Center, it was quickly put to the test. Within the first week, three patients with dwarfism tested the recliner during their stay and provided valuable feedback. Only minor adjustments were needed, such as the lever for the footrest.
Moving forward, Nebraska Medicine is planning to refine the chair further and potentially produce more units with the help of Metro Community College. The operational improvement team will evaluate the chair before it’s approved for widespread use.
“This project is a testament to the power of collaboration, not just between different institutions, but across disciplines,” Clapper said. “These students who dedicated hours to researching and building the prototype have not only developed a functional product, but also created something that will improve the dignity and comfort of patients for years to come.”