The nursing crisis has been a persistent and serious issue in the healthcare sector for years, impacting society on a global scale. Underpayment, excessive workloads, and chronic exhaustion have led to a rapid increase in staff shortages. As the number of available nurses declines, the stress levels for the remaining healthcare professionals continue to rise, exacerbating the problem.
Proposal
The game Stressresistenz is designed to give players a first-hand experience of the pressure nurses endure daily, from managing multiple urgent tasks to making split-second decisions under emotional and physical strain. This issue is particularly significant to me due to my personal experience in the healthcare field. The combination of stress, constant task prioritization, and overwhelming demands on nurses is a critical issue that this project aims to bring closer to the players.
This work was created as part of a mentored project in the Propadeutikum of the Zhdk 2022 mentored by Mona Neubauer and Ralf Mauerhofer.
Softwares Used: Gamemaker, Aseprite
Design Concept
The game is designed to reflect core stressors in the nursing profession, such as time pressure, decision fatigue, and resource management. Players must handle multiple tasks simultaneously while a countdown timer adds pressure. As the game progresses, the background music speeds up and gets louder, mirroring rising stress levels.
Core Elements
The core element of the design process included creating a hospital layout, designing patients and caretakers in both idle and walking positions, and drawing furniture and interactive elements. The goal was to create a cohesive and affordant visual style to support an engaging gameplay.
Level Progression
At the same time, tasks appear more frequently and are placed chaotically on the screen, making it increasingly difficult to keep up—simulating the overwhelming workload nurses face. However, as the workload continues to grow beyond control, the game inevitably reaches a breaking point where the player can only lose, reinforcing the reality that excessive demands in the nursing profession are unsustainable.
Solution
Stressresistenz wants to highlight the urgency of addressing the nursing crisis, highlighting the need for better working conditions, fair compensation, and systemic change in healthcare.
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