How Visibility May Reduce Security Issues in Community Hospitals' Emergency Departments.

This research explored the relationship between visibility and the level of security risks as perceived by nurses and physicians in emergency departments (EDs). Security in EDs has been reported as a major global concern, and visibility has been identified as a design factor impacting behavior. However, few previous studies have rigorously investigated the role of visibility in reduction of ED security risks with evidence-based design approach. There is a lot of significant questions about how visibility impacts the reduction of security issues in EDs. METHODS: How visibility may influence ED security was explored via qualitative methods in five EDs using semi-structured one-on-one interviews with 17 clinical staff and 48 hr of field observations. The coding process for both interviews and observational notes followed the principles of naturalistic inquiry. RESULTS: The findings suggest security risks can be decreased by improving visibility. Medical staff (registered nurses and physicians) felt more secure in the EDs with higher visibility. DISCUSSION: This study provides a framework to identify preferable levels of visibility in EDs and proposes design strategies to minimize security issues. Registered nurses and physicians can improve their team's sense of security by considering visibility throughout their daily practices.

Could Spatial Awareness Affect Situation Awareness: A Conceptual Examination.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between situation awareness (SA) and the physical environment in patient rooms through building a conceptual model. BACKGROUND: Nurses work in very complicated and dynamic environments where having high levels of SA could be critical for their performance. Studies have also shown that nurses' awareness of the physical environment and patient room is a part of their awareness of dynamic situations in which nurses' spatial awareness may play a role in SA. Despite literature outlining the importance of SA, there is a lack of studies exploring the relationship between the two. METHOD: A literature review was conducted for the study from nursing and psychology databases. Thirty-three articles, books, and dissertations from a scoping review were included for in-depth review. RESULTS: An in-depth review of the harvested literature indicated that there is in fact a relationship between these two phenomena. Founded on Endsley's model of SA, the literature review in this study offers a conceptual model that articulates a plausible causal pathway between the physical environment and SA. CONCLUSIONS: There are a lot of studies focusing on SA and various aspects of it related to nursing, but almost none mention the physical environment and its impact on SA. The current inquiry suggests that spatial awareness plays a prominent role in SA.

Critical Care 1950 to 2022: Evolution of Medicine, Nursing, Technology, and Design.

Critical care units-designed for concentrated and specialized care-came from multiple parallel advances in medical, surgical, and nursing techniques and training taking advantage of new therapeutic technologies. Regulatory requirements and government policy impacted design and practice. After WWII, medical practice and education promoted further specialization. Hospitals offered newer, more extreme, and specialized surgeries and anesthesia enabled more complex procedures. ICUs developed in the 1950s, providing a recovery room's level of observation and specialized nursing to serve the critically ill, whether medical or surgical.

A Framework to Develop an Immersive Virtual Reality Simulation Tool for Postpartum Hemorrhage Management Nurse Training.

ABSTRACT: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is the leading cause of maternal mortality and morbidity. Effective nurse training for PPH management can reduce negative health impacts on childbearing women. This article discusses a framework for the development of an innovative immersive virtual reality simulator for PPH management training. The simulator should consist of: 1) a virtual world, including virtual physical and social environments, and simulated patients, and 2) a smart platform, providing automatic instructions, adaptive scenarios, and intelligent performance debriefing and evaluations. This simulator will provide a realistic virtual environment for nurses to practice PPH management and promote women's health.

The Correlation Between Visibility and Medical Staff Collaborative Communication in Emergency Departments.

OBJECTIVES: This study empirically investigates the correlation between visibility and nurses and physicians' collaborative communication in emergency departments (EDs). The researchers hypothesized that higher visibility levels in EDs are associated with higher collaborative communication among nurses and physicians. BACKGROUND: The review of related literature addresses the role of communication in EDs, and more specifically, how visibility has been found to affect nurse and physician behavior in healthcare facilities. METHOD: The visibility levels in four EDs within the same hospital system were quantitatively measured in this study. Also, the communication levels among medical staff were explored by two methods. Data collection included computerized floor plan analyses, observations, and surveys. RESULTS: The researchers found statistically significant relationships between several underlying dimensions of ED visibility and collaborative communication among the medical staff members. CONCLUSION: Understanding the role of visibility provides a critical design principle for future EDs. The enhancement of ED design helps nurses and physicians to benefit from supportive environments.

The Influence of Visibility on Medical Teamwork in Emergency Departments: A Mixed-Methods Study.

AIM: This mixed-methods study delivers empirical evidence on the influence of visibility on healthcare teamwork in Emergency Departments (EDs). This study researchers hypothesized that with changes of visibility in EDs, teamwork among medical staff members will be impacted. BACKGROUND: Prior research results suggest that visibility can influence health-setting efficacy. Teamwork is one of the components of each healthcare system that can be supported by environmental design. METHOD: Visibility in four subject sites from the same healthcare system was objectively measured by morphology plan analyses. Teamwork among medical staff members was the behavioral variable of interest and explored through field observations, interviews, and surveys. RESULTS: The qualitative outcomes demonstrated that teamwork can be enhanced by improved visibility, while the quantitative findings supported the idea that some specific measures of visibility were correlated with teamwork. CONCLUSION: This study provides a model for future research on the association between healthcare staff behavior and ED plan configuration. The enhancement of ED design, considering the significance of visibility, enhances the perceptions of nurses and physicians in terms of teamwork.

Hospital Building and Departmental Area Calculation: Comparison of 36 Recent North American Projects.

BACKGROUND: Hospital trustees, administrators, and their consultants must base important budget decisions upon a projection of the size of proposed construction projects. The anticipated functions and an estimate of the space required are generally provided in a project program or project brief. The programming consultant, often part of the architect's team, will calculate the physical area (square feet or square meters) required to perform the desired functions based on an understanding of demographics in the service area, services offered, the volumes of service required, and a historical understanding of space required to perform those services. Hospitals and hospital designs in North America have been changing. Plans must now address far higher percentages of outpatient care, accommodate new equipment modalities, and provide space to account for family presence in patient rooms. AIM: A study was undertaken to better understand whether the allocation of space in recently constructed hospital projects is different from the amounts of area devoted to various departments and functions in older projects. METHOD: In order to assure measurement consistency, a measurement methodology was developed and is reported elsewhere. Thirty-six recently constructed hospitals were measured. RESULTS: The results provide new information about the allocation of space for nondepartmental functions within the overall building gross calculation. Many of the departmental space allocations fell within an expected range. Ultimately, significant detailed information about hospital area calculations is made available to the public because of this study.