Mayo Clinic: Every Compression Counts
Mayo Clinic: Every Compression Counts
Mayo Clinic: Every Compression Counts
Mayo Clinic brought us a clear challenge: 400+ nursing staff to certify in Basic Life Support every year, only 28 evaluators, and too few manikins. The requirement was to solve it in XR. As Research Lead, I broke the assessment down into its steps, roles, and governing standards, and used that to scope an ambitious brief into what a 22-person team could build well in three months. The result: a mixed reality assessment on Meta Quest, aligned with AHA guidelines and built around a custom manikin 60% more compact than existing models.
Mayo Clinic brought us a clear challenge: 400+ nursing staff to certify in Basic Life Support every year, only 28 evaluators, and too few manikins. The requirement was to solve it in XR. As Research Lead, I broke the assessment down into its steps, roles, and governing standards, and used that to scope an ambitious brief into what a 22-person team could build well in three months. The result: a mixed reality assessment on Meta Quest, aligned with AHA guidelines and built around a custom manikin 60% more compact than existing models.
Mayo Clinic brought us a clear challenge: 400+ nursing staff to certify in Basic Life Support every year, only 28 evaluators, and too few manikins. The requirement was to solve it in XR. As Research Lead, I broke the assessment down into its steps, roles, and governing standards, and used that to scope an ambitious brief into what a 22-person team could build well in three months. The result: a mixed reality assessment on Meta Quest, aligned with AHA guidelines and built around a custom manikin 60% more compact than existing models.
What Changed
| 60% more compact manikin
| 60% more compact manikin
| 60% more compact manikin
| 50% less assessment space
| 50% less assessment space
| 50% less assessment space
Delivered
Process book, custom manikin, vision video, working AR software, live demo presented to Mayo Clinic stakeholders
Process book, custom manikin, vision video, working AR software, live demo presented to Mayo Clinic stakeholders
Process book, custom manikin, vision video, working AR software, live demo presented to Mayo Clinic stakeholders
Role
Research Lead
Research Lead
Research Lead
TEAM
22 students · 8 majors · 9 countries
22 students · 8 majors · 9 countries
22 students · 8 majors · 9 countries
MY TEAM
Led a cross-functional research team of 10
Led a cross-functional research team of 10
Led a cross-functional research team of 10
Duration
Summer 2025
Summer 2025
Summer 2025
Partner
Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville
Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville
Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville
My Role
My Role
end to end Research & strategy
end to end Research & strategy
Defined what we needed to learn, in what order, and why, from kickoff through final requirements.
Defined what we needed to learn, in what order, and why, from kickoff through final requirements.
Defined what we needed to learn, in what order, and why, from kickoff through final requirements.
Client clarity
Client clarity
Led the shortlisting of clarification questions sent to Mayo Clinic, prioritized by how much each answer would change our scope.
Led the shortlisting of clarification questions sent to Mayo Clinic, prioritized by how much each answer would change our scope.
Led the shortlisting of clarification questions sent to Mayo Clinic, prioritized by how much each answer would change our scope.
Field research
Field research
Planned and led the Mayo Clinic site visit: observation metrics, and separate interview guides for candidates and evaluators.
Planned and led the Mayo Clinic site visit: observation metrics, and separate interview guides for candidates and evaluators.
Planned and led the Mayo Clinic site visit: observation metrics, and separate interview guides for candidates and evaluators.
Research to requirementS
Research to requirementS
Translated findings and AHA standards into a measurable requirements framework the design and tech teams built against.
Translated findings and AHA standards into a measurable requirements framework the design and tech teams built against.
Translated findings and AHA standards into a measurable requirements framework the design and tech teams built against.
Research operations
Research operations
Ran a cross-functional team of 10 on a weekly cadence, keeping research ahead of design instead of chasing it.
Ran a cross-functional team of 10 on a weekly cadence, keeping research ahead of design instead of chasing it.
Ran a cross-functional team of 10 on a weekly cadence, keeping research ahead of design instead of chasing it.
Client-facing
Client-facing
Co-presented the final solution and live demo to Mayo Clinic stakeholders.
Co-presented the final solution and live demo to Mayo Clinic stakeholders.
Co-presented the final solution and live demo to Mayo Clinic stakeholders.
The Problem
The Problem
tHE BRIEF
Make Mayo Clinic's entire Basic Life Support assessment XR-based, to ease a capacity problem the team knew well.
Every nurse at Mayo Clinic must re-certify in Basic Life Support. The demand is fixed. The capacity is not.
Make Mayo Clinic's entire Basic Life Support assessment XR-based, to ease a capacity problem the team knew well.
Every nurse at Mayo Clinic must re-certify in Basic Life Support. The demand is fixed. The capacity is not.
400+ candidates a year with just 28 evaluators
Too few manikins, in a setup that is non-portable and inflexible
400+ candidates a year with just 28 evaluators
Too few manikins, in a setup that is non-portable and inflexible
This isn't a training quality problem. It's a capacity problem that limits when, where, and how often nurses can even attempt certification.
The real challenge wasn't defining the problem. It was turning a broad brief, an entire clinical assessment rebuilt in XR, into something clinically rigorous, compliant with governing standards, and genuinely buildable in three months. That's the work research led. And the people inside it were feeling it from both sides:
This isn't a training quality problem. It's a capacity problem that limits when, where, and how often nurses can even attempt certification.
The real challenge wasn't defining the problem. It was turning a broad brief, an entire clinical assessment rebuilt in XR, into something clinically rigorous, compliant with governing standards, and genuinely buildable in three months. That's the work research led. And the people inside it were feeling it from both sides:
The Candidates
Candidates trained on manikins that feel nothing like a real chest, and got little precise feedback on the metrics that matter.
Candidates trained on manikins that feel nothing like a real chest, and got little precise feedback on the metrics that matter.
The Evaluators
Evaluators had no tools to review or analyze performance after an assessment. Every judgment happened live, one candidate at a time.
Evaluators had no tools to review or analyze performance after an assessment. Every judgment happened live, one candidate at a time.
The Research
The Research
Every research method was chosen to answer a specific question. Here's what we needed to know, how we found out, and what it changed.
Every research method was chosen to answer a specific question. Here's what we needed to know, how we found out, and what it changed.
01
01
What we needed to know
What we needed to know
What does certification actually involve?
What does certification actually involve?
Method
Method
Step-by-step dissection of Mayo's evaluator guide, stakeholder index, product journey maps, and a prioritized list of clarification questions sent to Mayo before the site visit.
Step-by-step dissection of Mayo's evaluator guide, stakeholder index, product journey maps, and a prioritized list of clarification questions sent to Mayo before the site visit.
We broke the BLS assessment down step by step: what happens, why each step matters, and how an evaluator judges it. Mapping the stakeholders around it, and asking Mayo the questions most likely to change our scope, set the foundation for everything that followed.
We broke the BLS assessment down step by step: what happens, why each step matters, and how an evaluator judges it. Mapping the stakeholders around it, and asking Mayo the questions most likely to change our scope, set the foundation for everything that followed.
What we learned
What we learned
Certification is a system of evaluators, education departments, regulators, and equipment, not just a nurse taking a test. And not every physical action has to be physical, which opened the door to the hybrid model at the core of the solution.
Certification is a system of evaluators, education departments, regulators, and equipment, not just a nurse taking a test. And not every physical action has to be physical, which opened the door to the hybrid model at the core of the solution.
02
02
What we needed to know
What we needed to know
How does it really happen?
How does it really happen?
Method
Method
Site visit to Mayo Clinic Jacksonville with defined observation metrics, and separate interview guides for candidates and evaluators, followed by tagged, prioritized synthesis.
Site visit to Mayo Clinic Jacksonville with defined observation metrics, and separate interview guides for candidates and evaluators, followed by tagged, prioritized synthesis.
We walked in assuming one candidate performs all 17 steps alone. Watching live assessments and hearing from both sides told a different story.
We walked in assuming one candidate performs all 17 steps alone. Watching live assessments and hearing from both sides told a different story.
What we learned
What we learned
The assessment is a team effort across three segments, CPR, BVM, and AED, which is why the solution has virtual teammates and a CPR-first scope. Synthesis surfaced three gaps: no way to self-assess, thin preparation before the test, and no feedback loop for candidates or evaluators.
The assessment is a team effort across three segments, CPR, BVM, and AED, which is why the solution has virtual teammates and a CPR-first scope. Synthesis surfaced three gaps: no way to self-assess, thin preparation before the test, and no feedback loop for candidates or evaluators.
03
03
What we needed to know
What we needed to know
How will we know the solution works?
How will we know the solution works?
Method
Method
A features and specifications matrix mapping every assessment step against six needs: portable, easy to use, accurate, realistic, measurable, and durable.
A features and specifications matrix mapping every assessment step against six needs: portable, easy to use, accurate, realistic, measurable, and durable.
Every requirement was tied to a measurable threshold drawn from AHA clinical standards, so design and tech had targets to build against, not descriptions to interpret.
Every requirement was tied to a measurable threshold drawn from AHA clinical standards, so design and tech had targets to build against, not descriptions to interpret.
What we learned
What we learned
"Realistic" and "accurate" only mean something once they're measurable. Turning each need into a threshold changed the team's question from "what should this do?" to "does this meet the threshold?"
"Realistic" and "accurate" only mean something once they're measurable. Turning each need into a threshold changed the team's question from "what should this do?" to "does this meet the threshold?"
Hardware-free hand tracking
Placement tracked by the headset alone.
Voice-triggered Code Blue
Call it out loud, any phrasing.
Virtual PPE
Chosen by voice, worn on your hands.
Responsive virtual teammates
A care team that reacts to you.
Readiness gate
Practice first, pass to proceed.
Actionable performance data
Heatmaps, correction timelines.
From finding to feature
From finding to feature
Research told us what was broken. This is what we built because of it.
Research told us what was broken. This is what we built because of it.
The
MANIKINS
MANIKINS LACK THE REALISM OF A REAL CHEST
We built a custom manikin with a spring core and layered foam, built to AHA standards
THE SETUP ISN'T PORTABLE
Ours is 60% more compact, packed in a hard case that works in any cleared room
The
Experience
THE ASSESSMENT IS A TEAM EFFORT
We built virtual agents that play teammates and respond to voice commands
CANDIDATES ARRIVE UNDERPREPARED
We developed an optional Acclimation session before the formal test
The
Data
NO FEEDBACK LOOP
This assessment gives real-time feedback during CPR & post-assessment performance report
EVALUATORS CAN'T REVIEW AFTER THE TEST
A report and recording sent to both candidate and evaluator
The Solution
The Solution
A mixed reality BLS assessment, running on a Meta Quest headset in passthrough mode, so candidates see their real surroundings with virtual teammates and equipment layered in. Built from three integrated parts, plus the kit that carries it.
A mixed reality BLS assessment, running on a Meta Quest headset in passthrough mode, so candidates see their real surroundings with virtual teammates and equipment layered in. Built from three integrated parts, plus the kit that carries it.
The manikin
9.5" × 9.5" × 8" tall, 60% more compact than existing training models. A metal spring core surrounded by layered polyurethane and EVA foam simulates real chest resistance and recoil. A force sensor tracks hand placement; a depth sensor measures compression depth and rate in real time. A removable electronics drawer keeps maintenance simple.
9.5" × 9.5" × 8" tall, 60% more compact than existing training models. A metal spring core surrounded by layered polyurethane and EVA foam simulates real chest resistance and recoil. A force sensor tracks hand placement; a depth sensor measures compression depth and rate in real time. A removable electronics drawer keeps maintenance simple.
Virtual agents
A lifelike care team at real-world scale, with spatial audio and responses matched to the candidate's actions. They handle BVM and AED tasks, keeping the teamwork realism of the real assessment while the candidate focuses on CPR.
A lifelike care team at real-world scale, with spatial audio and responses matched to the candidate's actions. They handle BVM and AED tasks, keeping the teamwork realism of the real assessment while the candidate focuses on CPR.
The Assessment Process
01
Open the kit, place the manikin in a cleared space, put on the headset
The headset scans the room and locates the manikin
02
03
Optional acclimation: patient interaction, voice commands, compression practice
The unguided assessment, mirroring real test conditions
04
05
A performance report: pass or fail, with a breakdown of what went well and what didn't, sent to both candidate and evaluator
The kit
A foam-lined hard case holding the headset and manikin, instructions printed on the lid, sized for rack storage. Designed for how a hospital would actually use it, not just how it works in a demo.
A foam-lined hard case holding the headset and manikin, instructions printed on the lid, sized for rack storage. Designed for how a hospital would actually use it, not just how it works in a demo.
Impact
Impact
60%
more compact manikin, a documented engineering outcome, and a direct answer to the portability problem evaluators raised.
more compact manikin, a documented engineering outcome, and a direct answer to the portability problem evaluators raised.
400+
Candidates, reviewed where it matters, instead of watching every assessment live, Mayo's 28 evaluators can review reports and recordings, and focus on candidates who need support.
Candidates, reviewed where it matters, instead of watching every assessment live, Mayo's 28 evaluators can review reports and recordings, and focus on candidates who need support.
1 standard
For every candidate. Every performance is scored against the same AHA-based criteria, reducing the subjectivity candidates and evaluators both described.
For every candidate. Every performance is scored against the same AHA-based criteria, reducing the subjectivity candidates and evaluators both described.
We Delivered
We Delivered
This wasn't a concept pitch. The team delivered:
This wasn't a concept pitch. The team delivered:
01
Working mixed reality software, demonstrated live to Mayo Clinic stakeholders
Working mixed reality software, demonstrated live to Mayo Clinic stakeholders
02
A custom-built, functional manikin prototype
A custom-built, functional manikin prototype
03
A vision video showing the system in real-world use
A vision video showing the system in real-world use
04
A complete process book documenting the research and design journey
A complete process book documenting the research and design journey
What's Next
What's Next
The team scoped a focused CPR-first build. The roadmap presented to Mayo Clinic extends it:
The team scoped a focused CPR-first build. The roadmap presented to Mayo Clinic extends it:
Full assessment
Candidates perform BVM and AED themselves
Candidates perform BVM and AED themselves
Multi-user scenarios
Real candidates in each role, joining from different locations
Real candidates in each role, joining from different locations
Scene variation
Bathrooms, elevators, crowded hallways, each with real constraints and distractions
Bathrooms, elevators, crowded hallways, each with real constraints and distractions
Multi-sensory realism
Scent cues like antiseptic and medication to deepen immersion
Scent cues like antiseptic and medication to deepen immersion
AI-assisted feedback
Personalized reports that further reduce evaluator subjectivity
Personalized reports that further reduce evaluator subjectivity
It would take clinical validation against AHA standards with Mayo's training team, a manufacturing partner to move beyond a single prototype, and a phased rollout starting with the CPR system already built.
It would take clinical validation against AHA standards with Mayo's training team, a manufacturing partner to move beyond a single prototype, and a phased rollout starting with the CPR system already built.
Reflection
Reflection
Measure the baseline, not just the future
We documented the bottleneck, but didn't capture how much time evaluators currently spend per candidate. That baseline is what would let the next phase prove time saved, not just claim it. Next time, it's the first metric on my site visit list.
We documented the bottleneck, but didn't capture how much time evaluators currently spend per candidate. That baseline is what would let the next phase prove time saved, not just claim it. Next time, it's the first metric on my site visit list.
Validate with the people who'll use it, sooner
Our usability survey and metrics were ready. Given more time, I'd have put the acclimation session in front of real nurses earlier, since it's the feature most dependent on how people actually feel walking into a high-stakes test.
Our usability survey and metrics were ready. Given more time, I'd have put the acclimation session in front of real nurses earlier, since it's the feature most dependent on how people actually feel walking into a high-stakes test.
One wrong assumption can reshape a project
The single most valuable finding came from watching the assessment in person. No document told us it was a team effort. That's why I'll always push for field research, even when the timeline is tight.
The single most valuable finding came from watching the assessment in person. No document told us it was a team effort. That's why I'll always push for field research, even when the timeline is tight.
