A platform designed to help traveling nurses find jobs, feel connected, and navigate contracts with less stress so they can focus on patient care.
Project Overview
Problem
There are an estimated 25,000 travel nursing jobs currently available in the U.S. While traveling nursing offers many benefits, it also comes with unique stressors, such as:
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Not knowing anyone in a new area
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Frequently applying for new contracts, which typically last around 13 weeks
Goal
Business
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Create a platform that recruiting agencies want to use to post and manage job openings
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Build a customizable recruiter experience that allows teams to track candidate progress over time
Users
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Create a safe, supportive space where traveling nurses can feel a sense of community
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Design a user flow that feels simple and low-stress
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Build an app that makes traveling nurses’ lives a little easier, so they can focus on their patients
My Role
I led the end-to-end design for Nurse Connect, including need-finding and user research, information architecture, wireframing, UI and interaction design, prototyping, usability testing, and copywriting. I also partnered closely with the CEO to help prioritize the product roadmap and supported visual design where needed.
Research
Listening To Our Users
The researcher interviewed 10 users and sent surveys to 20 more to better understand how Nurse Connect could support traveling nurses. Insights from the interviews and surveys helped prioritize key sections of the product, allowing us to make informed decisions instead of guessing and to focus on what best met users’ needs.
Top Priorities for Our Users
95%
Jobs
83%
Community Chat
80%
Making connections in a new area
The bottom navigation was designed based on these findings.
Home/Landing page
Landing page was designed to feel like a chat, where users can share questions or post lighthearted content like memes. This space helps foster a sense of community and gives users the option to ask questions anonymously.
Events
Events section where users can post local hangouts, making it easier for traveling nurses to meet new people when they don’t know anyone in the area.
Jobs
A job section designed as a one-stop shop for recruiters to post opportunities and for traveling nurses to easily find their next contract—something they need to do often due to the short-term nature of assignments.
Defining the user's journey
User's Journey
Mapping the user journey helped us clearly see where the app could support users throughout their day-to-day lives.
Research Summary
User research helped us identify where Nurse Connect could best support traveling nurses throughout their assignments. Insights surfaced key challenges such as repeatedly searching for short-term contracts, relocating to unfamiliar areas, and lacking a sense of community.
Rather than reinventing existing tools, our goal was to reduce friction in these moments by simplifying the job search, supporting connection, and designing low-stress user flows—helping nurses focus more on patient care and less on logistics.
WireFrames
Wireframe Iteration for Page Layout and Structure
Home/Landing page
Screen Elements:
Post Container
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Profile picture
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Like
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Comment
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Save
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Header text
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Body text
Search
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Search input
Main Navigation
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Trending
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Filter
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Search
Events
Screen Elements
Post Container
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Event photo
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Event name
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Date(s)
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Time
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Location
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Share
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Like
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Save
Main Navigation
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Trending
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Filter
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Search
Jobs
Screen Elements
Post Container
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Recruiter profile picture
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Recruiter rating
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Hospital name
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Pay
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Shift hours
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Location
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Save
Main Navigation
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Top agencies
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Filter
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Search
Wireframe Summary
Through multiple rounds of iteration, wireframing helped us explore different layouts and interaction patterns while keeping user needs front and center. Each iteration allowed us to test structure, hierarchy, and flow to ensure key actions were easy to find and intuitive to use.
Our focus was on balancing functionality with simplicity—providing enough interaction to support core tasks without overwhelming users. The final wireframes established a clear page structure that reduced friction, supported low-stress navigation, and laid a strong foundation for visual design and future enhancements.
High-Fidelity Mockups
When users create an account on Nurse Connect, they choose between signing up as a Recruiter or a Nurse.
Nurse side of the app
Static
Scrolled
Prototype
Static
Scrolled
Hangout Page
Static
Scrolled
Recruiter Company Page
Recriter side of the app
Static
Scrolled
Recruiter Company Page
Summary
After conducting additional user research with high-fidelity mockups, we identified key highs and lows in the experience. The goal of Nurse Connect was to simplify the job search, support connection, and create low-stress user flows so nurses can focus more on patient care. Early usability testing showed we were on the right track and meeting these goals.
Business perspective:
Keeping recruiters active on the platform was essential, since hospitals typically hire through recruiters. We introduced a star-rating system based on recruiter activity and response rate, using light gamification to encourage engagement from both nurses and recruiters. Investors responded positively to this approach, as increased recruiter engagement creates a clear path to monetization by allowing the platform to charge recruiters fees to post jobs over time.
Next Steps
Start working with coders to create an MVP.
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