RESUMO
The inpatient environment is a critical space for nurses and patients in psychiatric settings. In this article, we describe nurses' and patients' perceptions of the inpatient environment both before the removal of a Plexiglas enclosure around a nurses' station and after its removal. Nurses had mixed feelings about the enclosure, reporting that it provided for confidentiality and a concentrated work space but also acknowledged the challenge of the barrier for communication with their patients. Patients unanimously preferred the nurses' station without the barrier, reporting increased feelings of freedom, safety, and connection with the nurses after its removal. It is important to consider the implications of environmental decisions in inpatient settings in order to promote a healthy workplace and healing environment for all community members.
Assuntos
Atitude do Pessoal de Saúde , Ambiente de Instituições de Saúde/estatística & dados numéricos , Pacientes Internados/psicologia , Recursos Humanos de Enfermagem Hospitalar/psicologia , Postos de Enfermagem/estatística & dados numéricos , Satisfação do Paciente/estatística & dados numéricos , Feminino , Ambiente de Instituições de Saúde/métodos , Hospitais Psiquiátricos , Humanos , Pacientes Internados/estatística & dados numéricos , Masculino , Relações Enfermeiro-Paciente , Recursos Humanos de Enfermagem Hospitalar/estatística & dados numéricos , Enfermagem Psiquiátrica , Local de TrabalhoRESUMO
Specific efforts by hospital accreditation organizations encourage renovation of nursing stations, so nurses can better see, attend, and care for their patients. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of nursing station design on the therapeutic milieu in an adult acute care psychiatric unit. A repeated cross-sectional, pretest-posttest design was used. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 81 patients and 25 nursing staff members who completed the Ward Atmosphere Scale. Pretest data were collected when the unit had an enclosed nursing station, and posttest data were collected after renovations to the unit created an open nursing station. No statistically significant differences were found in patient or staff perceptions of the therapeutic milieu. No increase in aggression toward staff was found, given patients' ease of access to the nursing station. More research is needed about the impact of unit design in acute care psychiatric settings.