Van Heuvelen, J.S. (2019). Isolation or Interaction: Healthcare Provider Experience of Design Change. Sociology of Health & Illness, 41(4), 692-708.
While the role of the built environment is often overlooked in sociology, van Heuvelen examined the role of the environment as a mediator of organizational culture. This ethnographic study draws on sociology and an "inhabited institutionalist" theoretical framework to assess the staff experience of adjusting to the move from an open-bay to a single family room NICU. Findings show moving to the new SFR unit resulted in less time for discussion and personal support, resulting in a higher reliance on individual assessment skills. This was felt to undermine the culture of collaboration, but in other instances, the prior collaborative culture was transposed.