Modernizing The Nursing SharePoint: Migration & Design
This is the space to introduce the Services section. Briefly describe the types of services offered and highlight any special benefits or features.
UCI Health
13 months
09 / 2022
Role: UX Lead
UCI Health
13 months
September 2022
Role: UX Lead
Old Sharepoint
New SharePoint
Disclaimer: Due to the sensitive nature of this project, some content has been intentionally omitted or modified for public viewing. Layouts and text have been generalized to protect internal information. This does not reflect the depth or quality of the work, but rather my commitment to completing the project responsibly and ethically.
Overview
Our nursing department's SharePoint site was locked in Classic mode, which was no longer supported by Microsoft’s evolving ecosystem. This limited our ability to integrate new features, automate workflows, and collaborate efficiently with tools like Teams and OneDrive. Additionally, we managed a shared subsite with another department, requiring us to grant external permissions to non-nursing staff. This created repeated access issues, confusion over document ownership, and significant administrative burden for our team. To address these growing limitations, we led a complete transition to a Modern SharePoint, separating our site from the shared subsite, improving access control, and designing a cleaner, more user-friendly interface that better served nursing staff across all units.
Challenges
Before the migration, our SharePoint site faced a number of usability, access, and management challenges that impacted both day-to-day operations and long-term scalability. These issues made it clear that the platform was no longer meeting the needs of our nursing staff and required a complete overhaul.
Outdated – SharePoint was not compatible with Microsoft 365 tools, restricting functionality and workflow automation.
Usibility – The site structure was cluttered, outdated, and difficult to navigate. Staff struggled to find important documents, and there was no centralized structure for commonly accessed content.
Continuity – A seamless migration was essential. The transition needed to occur without downtime or lost files, while still supporting the day-to-day work of multiple clinical teams.
Permissions – Sharing a subsite with a separate department required frequent adjustments to permission levels. Staff outside nursing often encountered broken access or unintentional exposure to sensitive content, creating security and usability concerns.
Growing Pains
& Challenges
Before the migration, our SharePoint site faced a number of usability, access, and management challenges that impacted both day-to-day operations and long-term scalability. These issues made it clear that the platform was no longer meeting the needs of our nursing staff and required a complete overhaul.
SharePoint was not compatible with Microsoft 365 tools, restricting functionality and workflow automation.
Objective
Our vision for this migration was not just to transfer files from one system to another, but to create a clear, phased plan that prioritized operational continuity, user confidence, and long-term sustainability. To achieve this, we broke the project into three focused components:
Strategy
Zero downtime or migration errors reported.
Migration
Ensure all nursing staff were aware of the migration through clear visual messaging and timely updates
Termination
Implement a decommission timeline to allow staff ample time to retrieve documents
Strategy
Gameplan
The first step was aligning with IT and department leadership to define the overall migration timeline. We established a phased approach that would avoid downtime, reduce user disruption, and allow adequate preparation across all teams. The strategy included milestones for content audits, site structure approval, and training opportunities — all leading up to a fixed launch date. Regular check-ins ensured we stayed on track while remaining flexible to handle unexpected roadblocks.
Migration
Sitemap
One of the issues we had was managing permissions, especially with rotating temp admins. We set them up with an Owner role so they could manage the nursing site and subsites, it would raise concern once they were assigned a permanent role to another department. Physicians were also given Member access so they could edit pages as needed, but would evidently be able to have access to nursing information. Dealing with this reoccurring issue we decided that the service subsite should have it's own stand alone site, and stakeholders were all in agreement.
Announcement
We created a clear and concise announcement that was shared with all nursing staff throughout the hospital. The message included the new SharePoint site address and a reminder that the old site would soon transition to read-only mode.
Pinned Bulletin
We also made it easy for staff to reach out for support by including my direct contact information in the announcement. This helped reduce confusion, provided reassurance during the transition, and encouraged staff to engage with the new site confidently from day one.
Termination
Sunset Timeline
To responsibly decommission the old site, we introduced a 3-phase termination plan. This 9-month phased termination gave staff peace of mind and eliminated the pressure of an abrupt cutover. It also allowed time for feedback, adjustment, and confidence-building in the new platform before fully retiring the old one.
Read Only
Phase One
3 Months
Site was still viewable for reference but no changes could be made.
Retention
Phase Two
3 Months
Deleted items were stored in the recycle bin for emergency recovery.
Deletion
Phase 3
3 Months
The old site was permanently removed, completing the full transition.
Outcomes
The redesigned Nursing website delivered a modern, accessible platform that met both organizational and user needs. It streamlined maintenance, improved collaboration across departments, and played a key role in supporting UCI Health’s Magnet designation efforts.
Seamless
Zero downtime or migration errors reported.
Adoption
Staff usage increased due to better layout and clarity.
Control
Nursing gained full autonomy over its content.
Growth
Demand for new pages led to further site expansion.
Project Takeaways
Empathy
Understanding the frustrations and needs of end users helped shape a site that was intuitive, purposeful, and aligned with daily workflows.
Clarity
Clear communication—through visual announcements, consistent messaging, and a structured rollout—was essential in minimizing confusion and promoting user adoption.
Structure
A phased decommission plan gave users peace of mind, eliminated the fear of losing data, and allowed time to adapt to the new environment.
Collaboration
Cross-functional teamwork between IT, leadership, and clinical teams ensured the migration addressed both technical requirements and real-world usability.
Engagement
Upgrading to a modern SharePoint not only solved technical issues but also encouraged more frequent use, collaboration, and content expansion across teams.
Problems
The outdated nursing website came with outdated challenges:
Visibility – A public-facing Nursing website was required to meet Magnet designation criteria and showcase key initiatives.
Delays – Required IT involvement for every content update, slowing down responsiveness.
Control – Nursing lacked direct control over content updates and structure.
Confusion – There was no clear information architecture, making it hard for users to find relevant resources.
Outdated – The original Nursing website was outdated and no longer met current design or accessibility expectations.
Nursing Website Redesign
This is the space to introduce the Services section. Briefly describe the types of services offered and highlight any special benefits or features.
UCI Health
13 months
September 2022
Role: UX Lead