Part 2: The Birth of NURFIT OBGY - Our Shoe Co-development Team
In April 2021, we put out a call for nurses to help us create the perfect nursing shoe. This group became our first NURFIT Plus OBGY team, initially known as the "Nursing Shoe Co-development Unit." We only recruited for three days, but an incredible 94 nurses applied! Let's take a peek at how it all started.
The Genesis of NURFIT Plus OBGY
About a year ago, responding to numerous requests, we decided to create the ultimate nurse's shoe. Our initial design was a sneaker-style shoe. By May, we thought we were ready to launch, but then we realized something was off. Despite our efforts to incorporate nurses' needs, interviews with active nurses revealed we had missed the mark.It was tempting to proceed with the launch, considering the time and resources invested. But we went back to our core mission: "Let's make a shoe that truly serves nurses!" We committed to listening more closely to nurses and understanding their needs firsthand. That's when we decided to recruit active nurses to co-develop the shoe with us.
Crafting a Shoe for Nurses, with Nurses
The response to our three-day recruitment was overwhelming - 94 nurses applied!
"The nursing shoe has been the most inconvenient thing about my job!", "I want to contribute to making nurses' lives better.", "I couldn't resist applying when I heard about a shoe designed specifically for nurses."
We realized that the need for a proper nursing shoe was still as strong as ever. Many nurses had tried various shoes but hadn't found the perfect fit. Nurses from all departments - operating rooms, emergency rooms, wards - shared similar foot discomfort issues. They were excited about the opportunity to create a shoe for themselves and their fellow nurses.
A Step Towards the Perfect Nursing Shoe
With 12+ hour shifts, emergency responses, and constant patient care, nurses' feet rarely get a break. A comfortable, safe shoe designed specifically for nurses was desperately needed. And so, our team of nine active nurses from various departments was born! The NURFIT OBGY activities ran for about five months, starting in April. We began with clinical shoe tests, insole tests, and offline meetings to develop a shoe that truly fits the clinical environment.
Getting immediate feedback from the field allowed us to fine-tune the shoe to meet real nursing needs. How did the NURFIT OBGY team, chosen from a competitive pool of applicants, work with NURFIT to create the perfect nursing shoe? Stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes stories of our nursing shoe development journey! 🙂
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Part 1: Meet NURFIT OBGY - Creating Products That Fit Nurses Best!