NICU Pulse: Bridging the Gap Between Data and Care

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In the NICU, every second counts. I designed this system to ensure that when a baby is in distress, the medical team isn't just looking at numbers—they’re looking at a complete story of the patient's health.

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The Problem

Numbers don't tell the whole story.

Most hospital monitors are excellent at tracking heart rates, but they are "blind" to how a baby actually looks or behaves. If a nurse notices a baby is lethargic or pale, that vital information often stays trapped in a manual logbook.

The Friction: A doctor might see a sudden drop in oxygen on a screen and wonder, "Why?" without knowing what the nurse saw at the bedside five minutes earlier. This project closes that gap.

Research & Insights

Learning from the Frontlines

I analyzed existing monitoring systems (like GE and Philips). While powerful, they often suffer from "Alarm Fatigue." The screens are so cluttered that it’s hard for a clinician on a long shift to find the most critical information quickly.

My Design Strategy:

Reduce the Noise: Only show what is critical.
Add Human Context: Bring the nurse’s voice onto the doctor’s screen.
Design for the Dark: Use a deep, soft UI that respects the NICU's low-light environment.

The Status Quo	The NICU Pulse Way
Cluttered Screens: Too much data, not enough "meaning."	Triage First: We use color-coded bars to show who needs help right now.
Siloed Notes: Nurse observations are hidden in separate apps or paper logs.	Synced Markers: A nurse's note appears as a tiny icon directly on the vital graph.
Cognitive Strain: High-glare interfaces that don't respect the ward environment.	ontextual Themes: Light Mode for mobile rounds; Dark Mode for station monitoring.

Information Architecture

Designed to Scale, Built to Focus.

A NICU doctor might be responsible for 20+ infants at once. To prevent "Data Overload," I organized the app into a three-step journey. This ensures the most critical information is always at the top, while the deeper details are just one click away.

Level 1: The Ward Overview

A high-level dashboard where every baby is a "card." Doctors use this to triage, identifying who is stable and who needs immediate attention.
Level 2: Patient Context

Accessing a specific patient reveals live vitals, current weight (e.g., 2.5 kg), and recent observations.