Like nurses—who can use their degrees in a range of areas from clinical bedside care to research, education, entrepreneurship, history and more—professional designers also encompass many types of practitioners ranging from user experience (UX) designers to graphic designers, industrial designers, and more. The professions of nursing and design are symbiotic in more than their breadth and depth of experiences, but also in their approaches to identifying and solving problems. But that’s not where the similarities end; both reflect practices with a responsibility to care for the individuals they’re working with and designing solutions for. Nurses and designers require expert knowledge and a mastery of specific skills. They also center the needs of the end-users, whether that’s a patient or client.
For example, UX designers, as the name suggests, focus on ensuring the user has the best possible experience. They “aim to give the users what they want and ensure they find value…” This focus on end-user experience is encapsulated in the design thinking (DT) approach, which focuses on the end-user’s needs, wants, and desires. DT is part of the human-centered design (HCD) process, which was developed by design professionals and focuses on understanding the lived experiences of its users to co-develop meaningful solutions to their identified problems. Healthcare providers, especially nurses, have adopted the DT process to help solve the problems they see in their practice. This adoption has occurred in part because the DT process mirrors the nursing process, highlighting the synergistic nature of innovation, design, and nursing.
The DT process begins with the empathy phase, used to understand — or assess — the problem. What’s learned during the empathy phase is then used to determine the problem and create a problem statement from which a plan is formed and solutions ideated. From there an intervention is initiated, prototypes created, and a solution tested and evaluated.
The acceptance of HCD and DT in nursing goes beyond the similar processes though.Their use encourages innovation because by changing how the designer — and nurse — sees the world and how they traverse it , ultimately encouraging a mindset shift. This shift is critical for individuals and organizations because organizational transformation occurs when the individuals within them are transformed. HCD and DT encourage change by focusing on empathy, impact, engagement, and knowledge acquisition. This combination propels the mindset shift and encourages the user to undergo that transformation. It’s also why HCD and DT are symbiotic with nursing.
More than just a shift in beliefs occurs when using these design principles; it also allows for the shift in behaviors and actions needed to innovate. Earlier adopters of innovations tend to be more empathetic. Thus, learning and engaging in the innovative behavior of DT, with its foundation of empathy, could enhance a nurse’s ability to be more innovative in practice.
Although traditionally focused on helping industry flourish, contemporary designers are moving toward a profession that supports human-centeredness and social innovation. This is a similar direction currently being promoted in nursing, which is enhanced through design frameworks that encourage an empathetic and innovative mindset shift.
This article has been adapted from a portion of the dissertation by Dr. Marion Leary entitled: Examining the Characteristics that Support Nurses’ Innovative Behaviors. To learn more, you can watch Dr. Leary’s dissertation defense.
Marion Leary, PhD, MPH, RN, is the director of innovation at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.
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