Product Narrative: Nurse Lena’s New Reality

Photo by Mathurin NAPOLY / matnapo on Unsplash

I have developed a Product Narrative that brings to life some of the needs of nurses. This is a tool that I highly recommend for anyone trying to create well-received products. It encapsulates the needs and illustrates how life could be better in a format that helps to make the issues relatable and memorable.

As you do User Research, you may find different pain points and other conclusions. This exercise should be repeated until you find the most compelling story.

Good Morning

I wish I could sleep for a couple more hours. Why is my back so damn sore? Gotta get up and get ready for work… Coffee. Then shower.

What the hell happened in the kitchen? It’s … clean. But, different. Is someone playing a joke on me? I don’t have the energy for this right now.

I’ll put on coffee and heat some milk. This isn’t milk. Who put oatmilk in my fridge? Is someone gonna jump out from behind the curtains and laugh at me?

I’ll drink the coffee with the stupid oatmilk. Ha ha ha. Very funny, whoever is doing this.

“Lena, you are running low on oatmeal and bananas. Shall I add them to your shopping list?” a manly voice says to the room.

What was that? Where is that voice coming from? I never heard that before, yet I feel like it is supposed to be here. Let me look at what I have in the kitchen. He’s right. “Yeah… Go ahead and add them.” Why am I answering? I don’t even know what list he is talking about. Oh! My phone just buzzed. Let me see. There’s a notification that oatmeal and bananas were added to my list.

No time to figure this out. I have to get to work. Must shower.

Facing the Mirror

Bathroom. Light switch.

No!

What?

Who is that stranger in the mirror? That’s not me. Rub my eyes with some hot water. What’s on my skin? It looks so wrinkled. Who colored my hair? I’m going to throw up…

I’m going crazy. That’s me in the mirror. But, 20 years older. Am I crazy? Have I forgotten the last two decades of my life? I know who I am. I know where I work. Wait. Do I know where I work? Yes. I do. I work at Chronos Medical Center. I’ve been there for two years… No. I’ve been there for over 20 years. Wait. What? Why do I think I’ve been there for 20 years?

“Lena, there are delays in the U-Bahn today. Much of Berlin is experiencing high levels of traffic. You will need an extra 15 minutes to reach the hospital. I’ve sent you a new route.”

Buzz… Buzz… Damn, he did. Here it is on my phone.

Facing the Commute

Why am I so stiff? I’m 30, but I feel like 50. This subway ride… Buzz. Buzz… What’s this now? Updates on the vital data of my patients and a few changes to their medication from the night shift. Who sent this? Mrs. Herfurth has been diagnosed with Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura and Franzi is taking care of her treatment right now. I’ll have to take over once I get in. Woah. I see a holistic picture of her situation—her full history, Standard Operating Procedures, and even live vital data. How is this possible? Is there an army of slaves at the hospital putting this all together?

Gotta blow my nose. I’ll set down my phone on the seat for a second…

“Hey you! That’s my phone. Give it back.” Some idiot in a suit picked up my phone. Why?

“Oh, sorry. It looked like mine.”

I have another 20 minutes, let’s review the SOP. Ok. Yeah. Yeah. Uh-huh.

Before I know, I’m at the clinic and gettin’ suited up. I never felt so prepared, starting my shift.

Buzzed

Buzz… Buzz… Another alert? The flow rate on the plasma exchange is low? Why is that happening? Let me check that out first.

“Hello Mrs. Herfurth. How are you feeling?”

“What? Where am I? Is Felix coming for dinner? I think I’m hungry. But, I have such a headache.” Hmmm. She’s disoriented. Not a good sign.

“You have some purple spots on your arm. Can I look at your leg?” I lift up the blanket and see a long swath of purple spots on her left leg. Damn. Her heart rate is too high, too! “I’m going to adjust your plasma flow. I also need to give you some corticosteroids. Ok?” That SOP review was too conveniently timed. It was extremely helpful. But, it’s creepy how it was exactly what I needed.

“Ok. Can I get up soon?”

“We need to take care of you for a little bit longer Mrs. Herfurth.” I need to get further support. Let me call Dr. Reck… This damn thing is reading my mind. There are some options on my phone to notify Dr. Reck and also Nephrology. That’s great. But, how did it know? This is making ME feel disoriented.

Buzz… Buzz… Again with the messages. The contact info for her brother, Felix. This system is insane. This is great. But, our system can’t do this.

I’ll update her brother and with Dr. Reck on his way, I can go catch up on my other patients.

Disorientation

I need another coffee first. This is going to be a long day and still I don’t understand what is going on. Everything is familiar, yet it isn’t. Everyone knows me and doesn’t think I appear odd. But, they all exist as vague images in my head.

Why is the coffee machine greeting me by my name? there isn’t anywhere to put in money. Wait. There aren’t any prices, either. What happens if I just push this button…? “Your account has been debited $3.50.” It worked. But, damn that it is expensive. What the hell is that all about?

I should head off to my standard rounds. I need to check my vacation request status, too. I uh… Damn it! Where did I put my phone? It must be back by the coffee machine. “Hey, that’s my phone. I forgot it there.” Damn cleaning staff. Why would they walk off with a phone left on the table?

More Buzz

Buzz… Buzz… Another message. What is it this time? Someone in the waiting room has been assigned to me? What is that all about? They aren’t even fully admitted yet? But, somehow I am seeing their vital data. Wait… The system is doing some kind of diagnostics?

Buzz… Buzz… Yellow alert! The patient has some extreme abdominal pain. It could be appendicitis. Gotta run to the waiting room!

Buzz… Buzz… Another message already? There is some agitated person in the waiting room complaining about needing to see a doctor immediately. Looks like the attending nurse and security have been notified.

Reached the admissions desk. Empty. That must be the agitated guy! The nurse seems to be calming him down. Where is my patient? Let me take a look at his picture. It was on the phone. Ok. He has a long, white beard.

“Mr. Schmidt? I’m Nurse Steinmann. I am here to help you. Can you walk?” He is breathing so hard!

“I’ll try… Ok. Where should I go?”

“Come with me. I’ll take care of you.” I need to get him to the ER right away. He looks so pale and says he has abdominal pain. Let me put him in this wheelchair. I’ll notify the physicians in ER. Shit! Where is my phone? I had it in my pocket. Can’t wait. Gotta get him to the ER.

I wheel him quickly to the ER and find a physician to take over. He has some kind of an armband with our logo on it.

Is that what sent me all of his vital data? Why don’t I recognize it?

The Buzz is Gone

I need to do my rounds. Can’t wait any longer. Even without my phone, I know where to go. But, I feel naked. I never needed that thing like this. Why do I feel so panicky without it? I can manage all of the patients with the stupid thing. But, it feels like I am walking through molasses, cut off from the world. I just want a quick look at the vital data of the next patient before I get there. It would comfort me. But, that’s gone.

Let me get another quick coffee before I go check back in on Mrs. Herfurth. Damn expensive coffee, but better than what we had yesterday. Not gonna work. I forgot that I need my phone to pay for it.

Withdrawal

“Lena? Can I talk to you?” It’s the Department Head. What does he want?

“Can you show me your phone, please? I need to check that everything is alright.”

“Sorry, I misplaced it just a few minutes ago. I’ll have to go find it.” As I gesture towards my right pocket. But, there is something hard in there. What? I stick my hand inside and pull out my phone. “Oh. I guess I didn’t lose it. Here. What do you need it for?”

“You aren’t supposed to be here. Sorry, but we need to send you home.”

“Huh? What are you talking about? Why? What have I…”

Emptiness. No sensations. No pain. Everything just vanished. It was like taking a hose to a chalk drawing on the sidewalk. My senses were wiped clean and now I am drifting upwards and away.

More Withdrawal

Buzz… Buzz… What’s that? My alarm? What am I doing in bed? It’s time to get ready for work. But, I was just at work.

Where is my phone? I want to check on my patients. There’s nothing there. I don’t have any patient information. What’s happened?

I go into the kitchen and turn on the light. It’s changed again. Or, no? It hasn’t changed. It’s back to what it was. Or am I dreaming again?

I don’t know. I need to get ready and get to the hospital.

In the bathroom, a ghost from my past stares back at me. The person in the mirror is 30. I should be happy, but this is all wrong. Everything feels all wrong. Where did it all go?

In the subway, I have nothing to do. My phone isn’t prepping me or telling me anything about work.

The commute seems to never end. Then the walk to the hospital and getting changed takes longer than it ever took before.

Reality Bites

Shift handover in 3 minutes. I can quickly grab a coffee on the way. There’s the machine. It’s 50 cents? I don’t have any coins. Damn. I’ll have to skip the coffee.

Update on the patients. Oh, it’s Mrs. Herfurth. What? She had complications? There were problems with the plasma exchange. Yes. I knew that. But, someone caught that and I just need to keep up the therapy. She’s gone? But, she was stable yesterday! This morning we were taking care of the issue. That can’t be… Why? We could have… should have… been able to save her. No… We have everything we need to prevent these kinds of mistakes from happening. How is this possible? No… I guess we don’t have everything we need. But, we did. Didn’t we? I don’t understand.

Let me go do my rounds. I can’t take this.

Biting Back

There’s the Department Head. Looks so familiar. Is he coming to me?

“Lena? Lena. I need to talk with you. Do you have a minute?”

“Yeah. Sure? Do you want to see my phone?”

“What? Why would I want to see your phone? You may know that we collaborate with Futurdyne Medical Systems. They are interested in doing some interviews to understand your day-to-day work to build systems to improve patient outcomes. Would you be willing to spend an hour with them?”

“Sure! I have lots of things that I wish I could get back.”

“What?”

“I mean, I have ideas for what would make my life better.”

“Ok. I’ll give them your contact information and you can work out the logistics directly with them.”

I look down at my phone. It seems so empty now. I want that feeling again. The feeling that I have a partner, who can predict my needs and give me what I need before I ask. Having tasted that life, it is hard to be satisfied with what I have.