We had a pediatric patient awaiting surgery who was terrified of the healthcare staff. We noticed that he was holding a baby yoda plushie, and discovered that he loved Star Wars. In order to ease his anxiety, and make the trip to the operating room easier, we turned on the Star Wars theme music on one of our phones as we pushed him on the gurney to the operating room. We pretended like we were on a spacecraft on the way to battle. Once in the operating room we flickered the lights on and off as if we were in “space” and put on his “helmet” which was our gas mask to put him to sleep. 

The reason why I went into nursing was because I had a huge heart for helping patients, and have a strong sense of empathy. Healthcare is centered around the patient, and one of my favorite things about nursing was being able to build a relationship with my patients. Working with empathy also meant thinking outside of the box and trying new methods.

Now, as a designer, I think a lot of the same experiences in healthcare translate into solving user problems. I think in order to come up with innovative ideas, it starts with understanding the user first.