What Nursing Taught Me About Human-Centered Design

“Why leave nursing to pursue design?”

I get this question a lot. Sometimes it’s framed with curiosity: "How do working as a nurse and a designer connect?" Other times it’s more skeptical: "Do you even have the skills for design?" After all, nursing and UX look like completely different worlds day to day.

But what people often don’t realize is just how similar the two disciplines are at their core. My nursing background doesn’t just “transfer” into skills as a designer, it actively shapes how I approach the role.

There are three main ways I'd like to focus on:

Caring at the Core

In nursing, caring isn’t just a nice quality, it's essential. Every decision I made, whether it was administering a medication or explaining a treatment plan, was rooted in the care had for the patient, the person, in front of me.

Design is no different. Good UX isn’t about making a screens and creating a good flows for the sake of doing it... it’s about care for the person who will use them. It’s about anticipating their needs, acknowledging the potential friction, and reducing any stress that would be caused in overwhelming moments.

My nursing background means I don’t see people as “users” in an abstract sense. I picture real individuals, in vulnerable moments, navigating complex systems. That perspective gives me a different kind of empathy, one that's unique and one that shapes every design choice I make.

Coordination Across Disciplines

Healthcare is profoundly interdisciplinary. As a nurse, I was constantly coordinating with doctors, specialists, pharmacists, families, physiotherapy, surgeons, admin staff... each with their own priorities for the patient. Success depended on making sure everyone was aligned around the patient’s needs, and when I arrived at work that day, I was that persons healthcare coordinator.

UX is the same. Everyday designers work with engineers, product managers, researchers, marketers... all with a different focus on a certain aspects of the product. The ability to translate across these disciplines, to find common ground and keep the human at the center? It's what makes or breaks the design.

My time in healthcare taught me to understand different perspectives, to synthesize information, and to bring the care team together. These skills carry directly into design projects.

Designing Experiences

Nursing is, in many ways, about design. You design care plans. You design the way you deliver difficult information. You design patient journeys that ideally feel less confusing and more supportive. You design relationships by helping people who are struggling, to hold their hand while they experience some of the most difficult moments in their lives.

Designing for technology follows the same principles. You’re shaping an experience, mapping a journey, anticipating potential obstacles, guiding someone step-by-step in the product. Sure, the medium is different, the daily obstacles don't compare and the language is varied. But the mindset? It's the same. It’s about crafting an experience for a real person that feels safe, clear, and human.

Different Jobs, Shared Skills

On the surface, nursing and design couldn’t look more different. One involves IV lines, scrubs and SOAP charts, while the other involves Figma files, usability tests and colour palettes.

But underneath, the skills overlap:

• Empathizing with someone experience.

• Problem-solving quickly in complex environments.

• Prioritizing what matters most in the moment.

• Communicating clearly when working with different perspectives.

  
  

These aren’t just “nice to have” skills in UX, they’re essential. And they’re skills I carry directly from my years as a nurse.

Not a Detour, but Preparation

That’s why I don’t see nursing and design as separate worlds. I believe being a nurse prepared me for a career in design, because both fields are ultimately about the same main focus: making complex systems more human.