Insights & Solutions

Hamilton, D. K. (2019). Horseshoe, Cockpit, and Dragonfly: Nurse Movement in Headwall Patient Rooms. Critical Care Nursing Quarterly, 42(1), 47–52.  

Critical care nurses need consistency for some items, and flexibility for others. While patient rooms design varies, this study is able to shed some light on one of the most common configurations in use in North American critical care patient rooms; the headwall variation of life support systems.  

Emergency Departments (EDs) frequently receive patients with behavioral issues that require them to be identified and potentially isolated as quickly as possible. Often, they need to be placed in specially-designed safe rooms or areas that are optimized for security. Understanding this, Emory wanted to create a safe space in their ED for behavioral health patients.

The Syracuse VA Medical Center needed to renovate its 6th Floor B wing (Ward 6B) space for use as a new medical/surgical inpatient ward. The new ward was to have 20 bed units with 16 private patient rooms and private baths, two double patient rooms and baths, and all the necessary appurtenances for an inpatient surgical care area. Sliding doors were a primary opening/entry feature for easy and efficient access.

Unicel provided Vision Control sliding doors for Mount Sinai's renovation and upgrade of inpatient units, including intensive care spaces for cardiac patients. This included plans for 14 private rooms and a mandate to enhance both patient environments and provide more accessible and efficient nursing care. A key architectural element was to add sliding doors, because they operate easily and automatically. However, they also move incessantly, especially in ICUs where critical patients require constant care from nursing stations. Because of this, it was essential for these doors to maintain desired positioning at all times, without causing additional noise that could hinder patient recovery.

In part 2 of this podcast,  Mary Frazier talks about new technology that is greatly assisting in the battle against COVID-19 and Hospital Acquired Infections.

Learn why patients have now become afraid to go to the hospital with empty Emergency Departments a growing concern among hospitals. How can the healthcare design professional help hospitals begin to rebuild trust and bring their patients back?