I conducted a human factors design evaluation of an ambulatory surgery center, assessing how physical layout, technology placement, and workflow processes impact nursing practice and patient safety. Through staff interviews and direct observation, I identified ergonomic risks, HIT usability gaps, and workflow workarounds, and developed evidence-based recommendations for improvement.

Through this project, I applied human factors principles to critically evaluate how environment and technology design shape clinical workflows, deepening my ability to identify system-level risks and advocate for safer, more user-centered HIT solutions.

Competencies developed:
5.3e – Advocate for structures, policies, and processes that promote a culture of safety and prevent workplace risks and injury.
6.2j – Foster positive team dynamics to strengthen desired outcomes.
7.1g – Analyze system-wide processes to optimize outcomes.
8.1h – Evaluate the unintended consequences of information and communication technologies on care processes, communications, and information flow across care settings.

Explanation:
This paper evaluates the physical and technology environment of an ambulatory surgery center, so it's really a human factors and systems assessment grounded in staff experience. Identifying how a non-integrated OR monitor forces manual vital sign entry, and how tablet charting causes musculoskeletal strain, shows evaluating the unintended consequences of technology on care processes and workflow (8.1h). Gathering input from nurses, CRNAs, and the nurse manager, then using their observations to shape the recommendations, reflects fostering team dynamics to strengthen outcomes (6.2j). Looking at how the layout, storage, security gaps, and workflow interact across the whole facility shows analyzing system-wide processes to optimize outcomes (7.1g). And recommending fixes like restoring security cameras, requiring badge access, and replacing broken stretcher locks is a direct example of advocating for structures and policies that prevent workplace risk and injury (5.3e).

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