Deriving Information Requirements for a Smart Nursing System for Intensive Care Units

The workplace environment for intensive care nursing is highly stressful, with long working hours and a dynamic workload that may induce fatigue. The resulting stress and fatigue may reduce nurses' efficiency and may contribute to medical errors. A smart wearable system is being designed to help nurses who experience high levels of stress and fatigue at work. This article documents the systematic process of deriving information requirements from 2 focus groups conducted separately with nurses and nurse managers working in various Southeastern Texas hospitals. While nurses expected functionality such as memory aid tools, health assessment, and stress-reducing exercises, nurse managers expected information about the overall status of the unit's fatigue/stress levels as well as nurses' communication and movement patterns. The derived information requirements will act as an objective assessment of needs and would set the stage for the design of a stress-monitoring tool.