At a well known Seattle hospital, mistakes were leading to blood stream infections, harming patient outcomes. Nurse educators needed a supplemental method to reinforce proper procedure and gain compliance in these high risk procedures.

Working with a nurse educator to demonstrate procedures, I produced and edited a series of five short videos, each focused on a narrow task.

Our team reimagined traditional training materials as a recipe video. By framing clinical procedures as quick steps in a viral medium, updated procedures were rapidly disseminated throughout the organization.

The materials were intended as optional supplements for a department of 200 nurses, but within six weeks became mandatory for all ~1900 nurses throughout the hospital system. Nurses were excited to have visual demonstrations to supplement printed manuals, while managers appreciated the rapid and effective response to a stubborn training issue.

As a causal chef knows how to mix a batter, nurses know how to put on gloves. These videos show the overall process without spending time and attention on well understood tasks. By using the rapid-fire format of a recipe video, we were able to communicate critical procedures without the overwhelming detail of traditional procedure guides. The videos are not exhaustive, but instead show the main steps, then emphasize critical moments that must be executed perfectly.

View the complete video series