Defining the problem
The pandemic has affected the mental and physical wellbeing of frontline healthcare providers while lowering the quality of healthcare services for patients, creating an enormous challenge for the healthcare sector.
Methods
With limited time on this case study, I conducted brief interviews with 7 participants, who happened to be both healthcare workers and patients. Demographic ranged from ages: 35-57 and the respondents were of various gender identifications. The questions that were asked were based on the frustrations they experience in the workplace and as patients receiving care.
Pain-points from a point of view of a healthcare provider:
· Short staffing due to a variety of reasons: burnout, inadequate pay, too much work, time pressure…
· Miscommunication between healthcare staff members and between patients and healthcare staff.
· High expectations but no resources
· Stress among nursing staff due to infectious disease, complexity of patient needs, time pressure, patient load, deaths among patients, tiring job with insufficient time for rest and meals
Pain-points from a point of view of a patient:
· Lack of quality care, affectionate communication and not feeling heard
· Unfriendliness of the staff and poor bedside manner
· Incidents and mistakes throughout the hospital stay
· Exhaustion, lack of energy and optimism from the side of the healthcare staff
· Need for a more holistic and unconventional approach (rather than medication only)
Evelyne, 40, DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice)
“As a Mental Health Advocate, I want to reduce stress among nurses, so that the quality of their work and care they provide can be improved”
What are participants saying:
Abigail, 37, RN (Registered Nurse)
“As a Nurse, I want to be listened too and receive compassion from others, so that I can feel valuable and appreciated”
Results
The analysis shows that 85% of the respondents believe that anxiety and stress contribute to a major problem that healthcare sector faces today. Nurses have the highest levels of distress compared to other healthcare workers when exposed to infectious diseases.
Work-related stress not only negatively impacts healthcare workers decreasing their attention and decision-making skills, but also affects the quality and safety of patient care due to loss of compassion for patients and increased medical errors.
Solution
Mobile app that brings nurses together and prioritizes their well-being with stress managing tools and self-care practices to reduce the amount of occupational stress.
User Stories and User Flows
With the data collected from the interviews, based on users’ responses and having in mind provisional personas, I came up with the basic User Stories, that were later translated into User Flows:
As a User, I would like to share my feelings and reach out to other nurses, who know what I am going through, so that I can find understanding.
(Sisters With Blisters: Finding a Support Community for Nurses).
As a user, I would like to find a way to reduce my high anxiety levels by participating in body and mind exercises, so that I can feel more at peace.
(Keep Calm & Nurse On: Practicing Meditation, Mindfulness and Yoga).
As a User, I would like to focus on my personal interests, so that I can distract myself and have something to look forward to.
(Learn Every Day: Unwinding by Pursuing Passions).
As a User, I sometimes forget about myself and would like to find easy to prepare and healthy meals, so that I can boost my energy levels.
(Say ‘Ahhhh’: Managing Diet).
As a User, I would like to find some helpful tips and remedies for insomnia, so that I can improve the quality of my sleep.
(Restoring Minds: Focusing on the Rest and Sleep).
