Lean design of the pediatric intensive care unit patient room for efficient and safe care delivery
2022
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 15
Pages 369-390
Author(s): Lu, Y., Bishop, N. B., Zadeh, R. S.
Pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) are often operated by specially trained registered nurses (RNs). Due to the high stress and sensitivity of these environments, optimizing RN workflows and safety protocols is important.
Added August 2022
The healthcare workspace: Understanding the role of decentralized nursing stations, corridors, and huddle spaces as locations for teamwork in a neonatal intensive care unit
2022
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 15
Pages 270-282
Author(s): Fay, L., Real, K., Haynes, S.
Neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) host fragile and vulnerable patients. Research studies on NICUs with a single-family room (SFR) layout demonstrate benefits to both neonates and their parents but the impact on staff remains unclear. The decentralization associated with SFRs may impair teamwork.
Added June 2022
Efficiency and teamwork in emergency departments: Perception of staff on design interventions
2021
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 14
Pages 310-323
Author(s): Ahmadpour, S., Bayramzadeh, S., Aghaei, P.
The authors build on previous research regarding emergency department (ED) layout and teamwork. When clinicians can move efficiently in a space that allows for collaboration, both staff and patients benefit.
Added July 2021
Designing for efficiency: Examining the impact of centralized and decentralized nurse stations on interdisciplinary care processes
2020
JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration
Journal Article
Issue 6
Volume 50
Pages 335–342
Author(s): Fay, L., Santiago, J. E., Real, K., Isaacs, K.
Between 1980 and 2008, adult inpatient units increased in size by 118%. Size increases on this scale may negatively impact operational efficiency, waste reduction efforts, and workplace safety.
Added June 2020
The effect of vertical split-flow patient management on emergency department throughput and efficiency
2018
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine
Journal Article
Issue 9
Volume 36
Pages 1581-1584
Author(s): Garrett, J. S., Berry, C., Wong, H., Qin, H., Kline, J. A.
In some emergency departments (EDs), the severity of a patient’s condition is rated on a 5-point scale during admission using the Emergency Service Index (ESI). Under the “split-flow” model of patient triaging, patients with less-severe conditions (rated an ESI 4 or 5) are “fast tracked” so that they can be separated from patients with higher ESI scores, allowing for more efficient resource allocation for all patient treatment procedures.
Added December 2018
Introduction of a horizontal and vertical split flow model of emergency department patients as a response to overcrowding
2018
Journal of Emergency Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 44
Pages 345-352
Author(s): Wallingford, G., Joshi, N., Callagy, P., Stone, J., Brown, I., Shen, S.
Hospital emergency departments (EDs) strive to optimally organize patient flow so that optimal care can be delivered while patient length of stay is minimized. The emergency severity index (ESI) is a 5-point scale used to help medical staff discern the severity of patient conditions; higher ESI scores indicate less-severe medical conditions.
Added December 2018
Deliberate Perioperative Systems Design Improves Operating Room Throughput
2005
Anesthesiology: The Journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 103
Pages 406-418
Author(s): Sandberg, W. S., Daily, B., Egan, M., Stahl, J. E., Goldman, J. M., Wiklund, R. A., Rattner, D.
Operating rooms (ORs) are complex and sensitive environments that are typically expensive to operate and maintain. Minimally invasive surgical procedures are becoming increasingly more prevalent in many OR environments, while the costs of operating and maintaining OR environments are simultaneously increasing.
Added November 2018
Design lessons from the analysis of nurse journeys in a hospital ward
2018
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 11
Pages 116-129
Author(s): Nazarian, M., Price, A., Demian, P., Malekzadeh, M.
This article outlines a method that was used to determine how nurses travel in the corridor and common spaces of a single nursing unit.
Added November 2018
Nursing staff’s experiences of working in an evidence-based designed ICU patient room—An interview study
2017
Intensive and Critical Care Nursing
Journal Article
Author(s): Sundberg, F., Olausson, S., Fridh, I., Lindahl, B.
Intensive care unit nurses use technology and systems that may not have existed when their nursing units were constructed. Nurses often must work around machines and in narrow spaces to deliver complex care to critically ill patients.
Added June 2017
Effects of Unit Design on Acute Care Nurses’ Walking Distances, Energy Expenditure, and Job Satisfaction: A Pre–Post Relocation Study
2016
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 10
Pages 22-36
Author(s): Copeland, D., Chambers, M.
Numerous previous studies have focused specifically on the relationship between nurses and patients. For instance, several studies have shown that patient outcomes are directly associated with the amount of time nurses spend with their patients.
Added May 2017
Shifting Landscapes: The Impact of Centralized and Decentralized Nursing Station Models on the Efficiency of Care
2017
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 10
Pages 80-84
Author(s): Fay, L., Carll-White, A., Schadler, A., Isaacs, K., Real, K.
As healthcare facilities continue to implement evidence-based designs and increase in overall size, there is a lack of research examining how these changes affect the efficiency of patient care processes. Along with the physical growth of modern healthcare environments, advances in medical technology have increased the amount of multitasking required of nurses and other healthcare workers.
Added May 2017
Balancing the Human Touch with the Need for Integrating Technology in Ambulatory Surgical Environments: Barriers and Facilitators to Nursing Work and Care Team Interactions
2017
Journal of Interior Design
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 42
Pages 39-65
Author(s): Joseph, A., Wingler, D., Zamani, Z.
There is a lack of information to support the design of the rapidly growing number of ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs). These centers have become more popular as trends in reimbursement, technology, and services have evolved. Research is needed to inform how the built environment of ambulatory surgical environments impacts the critical interactions between people, supplies, and equipment.
Added February 2017
Separate Medication Preparation Rooms Reduce Interruptions and Medication Errors in the Hospital Setting: A Prospective Observational Study
2016
Journal of Patient Safety
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 17
Pages e161-e168
Author(s): Huckels-Baumgart, S., Baumgart, A., Buschmann, U., Schüpfer, G., Manser, T.
Errors and interruptions are commonplace during medication preparation procedures in healthcare environments. One study found that one interruption occurred for every 3.2 drugs administered during nurses’ medication rounds.
Added December 2016
Low stimulus environments: reducing noise levels in continuing care
2016
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 5
Pages 1-4
Author(s): Brown, J., Fawzi, W., Shah, A., Joyce, M., Holt, G., McCarthy, C., Stevenson, C., Marange, R., Shakes, J., Solomon-Ayeh, K.
This article highlights a project that aimed to reduce levels of intrinsic background noise on an adult mental health ward. Following intervention, the ward was able to decrease the background noise decibel level from 60dB to 53dB (on average).
Added November 2016
Individualizing hospital care for children and young people with learning disabilities: it's the little things that make the difference
2015
Journal of Pediatric Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 30
Pages 78-86
Author(s): Oulton, K., Sell, D., Kerry, S., Gibson, F.
People with learning disabilities (LDs) represent one of the largest groups with a lifelong disability, reaching nearly 60 million people worldwide. In England alone, it is estimated that 1.5 million people live with an LD, 286,000 of them being children and young people ages 0-17. It has been found that those with LD have more hospital admissions and greater hospital stays than those children without.
Added November 2016
Light at Night and Measures of Alertness and Performance: Implications for Shift Workers
2016
Biological Research For Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 18
Pages 90-100
Author(s): Figueiro, M. G., Sahin, L., Wood, B., Plitnick, B.
Rotating-shift workers, particularly those working at night, are likely to experience sleepiness, decreased productivity, and impaired safety while on the job. Light at night has been shown to have acute alerting effects, reduce sleepiness, and improve performance. However, light at night can also suppress melatonin and induce circadian disruption, both of which have been linked to increased health risks. Previous studies have shown that long-wavelength (red) light exposure increases objective and subjective measures of alertness at night, without suppressing nocturnal melatonin.
Added November 2016
Shift work: health, performance and safety problems, traditional countermeasures, and innovative management strategies to reduce circadian misalignment
2012
Nature and Science of Sleep
Journal Article
Author(s): Eastman, C. I., Smith, M. R.
This paper is a review of the literature related to health, performance, and safety problems associated with night shift work. The review of articles and research papers focused on circadian misalignment between the individual’s internal circadian clock and activities such as work, sleep, and eating. There is also discussion about chronic partial sleep deprivation and melatonin suppression at night. The articles reviewed include theory papers and research papers.
Added November 2016
Objective and subjective assessments of lighting in a hospital setting: implications for health, safety and performance
2013
Ergonomics
Journal Article
Issue 10
Volume 56
Pages 1535-1545
Author(s): Dianat, I., Sedghi, A., Bagherzade, J., Jafarabadi, M. A., Stedmon, A. W.
Poor lighting conditions in workplaces, particularly healthcare environments, can cause discomfort for both patients and staff members, while also negatively affecting the performance of standard tasks. Ailments such as eyestrain, headaches, and indigestion may evolve from low lighting levels, high amounts of glare, and even flickering light sources.
Added October 2016
An Assessment of Levels of Safety in Psychiatric Units
2016
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 10
Pages 66-80
Author(s): Bayramzadeh, S.
As mental treatment facilities see increases in the number of patients seeking care, facilities face mounting pressure in their attempts to promote patient well-being and safety. The author suggests that there is a lack of systematic empirical studies that examine how the design of mental healthcare facilities contributes to patient care and safety.
Added September 2016
Environmental Variables That Influence Patient Satisfaction: A Review of the Literature
2016
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 10
Pages 155-169
Author(s): MacAllister, L., Zimring, C., Ryherd, E.
This paper is a literature review that compiles a number of studies investigating the layouts and designs of hospitals and work settings, and the influences that these environments have on health and behavioral outcomes in patients. More specifically, this review seeks to identify possible links between physical and social environmental influences to self-reported patient outcomes. The authors wish to more fully understand the elements that influence patient satisfaction, and then begin a discussion over how physical and social environments can be further analyzed to enhance satisfaction.
Added September 2016
