Oxygen: A platform for nurses

Oxygen: Grow your career in Healthcare with respectable companies

Comment

Inspiration

There is a confirmed nursing shortage, yet many nurses are still avidly searching for work and are being discouraged from working in the field. The ever-growing demand for healthcare professionals combined with the challenge many face in finding roles that align with their values and goals inspired us to create "Oxygen." We realized that many passionate individuals were struggling to find the right career fit and growth channels in the healthcare field, especially since nursing positions operate in-person, at the local level. Additionally, the recruiting problem has put pressure on current hospital/senior living nurses that have to cover more shifts and hours for the same pay due to understaffing. Even worse, young people are not going into nursing or are giving up at a higher rate than ever before - “One-third of the [registered nurse] workforce could be at retirement age in the next 10 to 15 years” (NCBI). The future of the healthcare understaffing issue needs a solution right now.

What it does

"Oxygen" serves as a bridge between entry-level healthcare workers and local job opportunities. The iOS app showcases nearby job listings and training sessions, ensuring that users are not only employed but also continually equipped to grow in their careers.

How we built it

We developed "Oxygen" using SwiftUI for iOS, ensuring a modern, seamless user experience. The backend is designed using Flask and hosted in a public ProxMox instance, with a focus on real-time data syncing, ensuring that users always have access to the latest opportunities. Integration of map-based services provides a visual representation of job and training locations.

Challenges we ran into

One of the main challenges was ensuring real-time synchronization of job listings, given that healthcare job openings can be highly dynamic. Another challenge was making the app intuitive for a younger demographic while ensuring it remains functional for all age groups.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Despite having no prior experience in iOS development or true software engineering, we took on the challenge with SwiftUI and developed a functional app within just 24 hours. Not only is the app aesthetically pleasing, but it's also user-friendly. We're particularly proud that we were able to implement all the features we envisioned, with both backend and frontend components seamlessly integrated and working as intended.

What we learned

We realized that thorough research is key to enhancing an app. By diving into the healthcare job market, we understood its challenges. Tackling SwiftUI for iOS for the first time was a significant and rewarding leap in our development journey as well.

What's next for Oxygen: A platform for nurses

We plan to expand "Oxygen" to include advanced filtering options, allowing users to find opportunities based on specialized criteria. Additionally, we're looking into partnerships with healthcare institutions for exclusive job listings and training programs. In the long term, we envision "Oxygen" becoming a holistic platform for all healthcare professionals, expanding beyond just entry-level workers.

Built With

Share this project:

Updates