In the post-pandemic era, infection wards continue to face significant safety hazards and management challenges, directly impacting patient recovery and the safety of medical staff. Despite significant advancements in intelligent equipment and their applications in infection control and patient care, research gaps persist, including a lack of specificity in addressing infection ward challenges, insufficient consideration of diverse stakeholders, limited methodological rigor, and a scarce focus on user experience (UX). Therefore, this study focuses on the specific context of infection wards, comprehensively addressing the needs of both medical staff and patients. Through bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer for keyword co-occurrence, it is evident that intelligent design holds significant potential to enhance the functionality, safety, and patient experience of infection wards. Systematically employing grounded theory and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), this study identifies five major categories and fifteen specific needs of infection wards. Based on these findings, a set of intelligent nursing devices and systems was designed. Design evaluations using the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ) and System Usability Scale (SUS) validated the feasibility and effectiveness of these systems, demonstrating their positive impact on optimizing medical resource allocation, reducing the burden on healthcare workers, and improving patient independence and confidence. The study provides theoretical support and practical reference for the future intelligent transformation of infection wards, contributes to reducing the risk of hospital-acquired infections, improves medical quality and efficiency, and enhances patients’ quality of life and sense of dignity.