Characteristics of the Nighttime Hospital Bedside Care Environment (Sound, Light, and Temperature) for Children With Cancer
2011
Cancer Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 34
Pages 176-185
Author(s): Linder, L. A., Christian, B. J.
Children with cancer have a lot to cope with aside from their disease and its treatment. Often, they are in unfamiliar healthcare environments that may be too noisy or bright to facilitate uninterrupted sleep. However, not much is known about the sound and light levels in either pediatric or adult inpatient oncology units.
Added January 2014
Empowering staff nurses to use research to change practice for safe patient handling
2012
Nursing Outlook
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 60
Pages 157-162
Author(s): Krill, C., Staffileno, B.A. , Raven, C.
Nursing is one of the top 10 occupations for work-related musculoskeletal disorders, often stemming from patient handling, which is unpredictable and performed in awkward positions and unfavorable conditions. The authors of this paper created a safe patient handling or ergonomic program that combines patient-handling equipment and devices, education, patient care ergonomic assessment protocols, no-lift policies, and patient-lift teams.
Added January 2014
Comparison of space allocation in recently completed critical care units
2011
Critical Care Nursing Quarterly
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 34
Pages 282-289
Author(s): Durham, J. H.
Critical care design has evolved from a series of curtained cubicles in a large open room to private rooms that occupy significantly more space. Nowhere is this move to larger spaces more apparent than when reviewing the adult critical care unit award winners of the Society of Critical Care Medicine, American Association of Critical Care Nurses, and American Institute of Architects/Academy of Architecture for Health annual design competition over the last 2 decades.
Added January 2014
Effects of two hospital bed design features on physical demands and usability during brake engagement and patient transportation: A repeated measures experimental study
2009
International Journal of Nursing Studies
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 46
Pages 317-325
Author(s): Kim, S., Barker, L. M., Jia, B., Agnew, M. J., Nussbaum, M. A.
Healthcare work is physically demanding and often results in work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). Most research in this area has focused on patient-handling techniques during activities that require direct patient contact, such as patient transfer. But healthcare providers perform other patient-handling tasks as well, such as engaging bed brakes and transporting patients in beds. These activities could also contribute to WMSDs.
Added January 2014
Quiet Time in a Pediatric Medical/Surgical Setting
2013
Journal of Pediatric Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 28
Pages 400-405
Author(s): Cranmer, K., Davenport, L.
Despite being places for rest and healing, hospitals often are noisy places. These rising sound levels can be harmful and stressful for patients, caregivers, and staff, as well as contribute to an unsatisfactory environment in which to work and heal. In response, some intensive care units now have quiet time to reduce noise levels. However, little is known about the benefits of quiet time in a pediatric medical–surgical setting.
Added January 2014
Sound Spectral Analysis in the Intensive Care Nursery: Measuring High-Frequency Sound
2008
Journal of Pediatric Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 23
Pages 317-324
Author(s): Kellam, B., Bhatia, J.
Little is known about how high-frequency, prolonged intense noise effects auditory development in preterm infants. However, some research indicates that premature infants who are exposed to persistent noise might experience some interference with their development of frequency discrimination and problems with sound-pattern recognition.
Added January 2014
Falls Aren't Us: State of the Science
2009
Critical Care Nursing Quarterly
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 32
Pages 116-127
Author(s): Cozart, H. T., Cesario, S. K.
Falls among the elderly can cause serious injury and sometimes even be fatal. However, in healthcare settings, many of these accidents can be avoided with fall-prevention interventions. The ninth goal of The Joint Commission is environmental intervention and addresses safety features such as patients’ introduction to hospital surroundings, appropriate lighting and noise reduction, call alarms, as well as reachable and available grab rails.
Added January 2014
An Environmental Intervention to Restore Attention in Women With Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer
2003
Cancer Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 26
Pages 284-292
Author(s): Cimprich, B., Ronis, D. L.
Women who are undergoing breast cancer treatments are at risk for fatigue-related cognitive and attention deficits. These impairments can make it difficult for them to retain information about their disease, make treatment decisions, follow their treatment regime, and cope with painful losses and disruptions in their daily life. Some research indicates that a theoretically based intervention involving regular exposure to the natural environment may help.
Added January 2014
Noise Levels in a General Surgical Ward: a descriptive study
2005
Journal of Clinical Nursing
Journal Article
Author(s): Christensen, M.
The noise levels in many UK hospitals exceed those recommended by the World Health Organization, yet are so prevalent that healthcare providers tend to think of them as just part of the working environment. However, current ward-based research is dated, perhaps indicating that the control of noise in these areas is perceived as insurmountable.
Added January 2014
Unpleasant and pleasant memories of intensive care in adult mechanically ventilated patients—Findings from 250 interviews
2011
Intensive and Critical Care Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 27
Pages 76-84
Author(s): Samuelson, K. A. M.
Patients’ perspectives on the intensive care experience are essential to improve patients’ comfort and well-being during and after a stay in the intensive care unit (ICU). This research approach was unique as the author used data from a large number of patient interviews (n = 250) and a validated qualitative content analysis technique to create themes from the data. One of the themes included—environmental distress—described aspects of the physical environment that patients remembered as causing distress.
Added January 2014
Practice Environments of Nurses in Ambulatory Oncology Settings: A Thematic Analysis
2012
Cancer Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 35
Pages E1-E7
Author(s): Kamimura, A., Schneider, K., Lee, C. S., Crawford, S. D., Friese, C. R.
The working environments for nurses in inpatient settings have been studied extensively, but little is known about ambulatory locations. Yet, according to National Center for Health Statistics, 19 million of the 23 million annual visits for chemotherapy occur in ambulatory centers. Therefore, research in this area could contribute to better nursing outcomes and patient care.
Added January 2014
Neonatal Response to Control of Noise Inside the Incubator
2001
Pediatric Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 6
Volume 27
Pages 600-606
Author(s): Johnson, A. N.
Premature infants are at risk for long-term neurologic, cognitive, and behavioral problems. Therefore, supporting these medically fragile infants as they adapt to life outside the womb by decreasing possible environmental stressors, such as noise, is important. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee of Environmental Hazards recommends that neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) sound levels below 45 dB. Yet these babies are often in incubators, which are associated with higher sound levels from the equipment and surrounding environment.
Added January 2014
Effects of low humidity and high air velocity in a heated room on physiological responses and thermal comfort after bathing: An experimental study
2009
International Journal of Nursing Studies
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 46
Pages 172-180
Author(s): Hashiguchi, N., Tochihara, T.
Winter often brings low humidity and high air flow from HVAC systems that may cause health-related issues for patients and can impact how comfortable they are before and after a bath.
Added January 2014
The hospital environment for end of life care of older adults and their families: an integrative review
2012
Journal of Advanced Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 68
Pages 981-993
Author(s): Brereton, L., Gardiner, L. C., Gott, M. , Ingleton, C., Carroll, C., Barnes, S.
With an aging global population, more and more people will need palliative care in the coming decades. This population of older adults will not only need community and hospital facilities to cope with their end-of-life issues, but also spaces that keep them from harm, such as falls. Some current architectural features and other factors erode older adults’ independence and confidence, thereby impairing their quality of life, privacy, and dignity.
Added January 2014
Performance Obstacles of Intensive Care Nurses
2007
Nursing Research
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 56
Pages 185-194
Author(s): Gurses, A. P., Carayon, P.
There is little research about how the work environment of intensive care nurses impacts nursing outcomes and patient safety. Yet performance obstacles hinder intensive care nurses’ ability to perform their jobs.
Added January 2014
The development and piloting of electronic standardized measures on nursing work: combining engineering and nursing knowledge
2013
Journal of Nursing Management
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 21
Pages 679-689
Author(s): Bradadottir, H., Gunnarsdottir, S., Ingason, H.
As healthcare resources decline and the demand for nurses increases, it is even more important than ever to understand nursing work to make sure it is done efficiently and safely. Finding no existing computerized measures, the authors developed measures and a computer program for this study.
Added January 2014
Nighttime Noise Issues That Interrupt Sleep After Cardiac Surgery
2011
Journal of Nursing Care Quality
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 26
Pages 88–95
Author(s): Spence, J., Murray, T., Tang, A. S., Butler, R. S., Albert, N. M.
Hospital unit environments have excessive environmental ambient sound levels. In cardiac-surgical, general, and neonatal intensive care units, sound levels were commonly more than 50 dBand spiked to 80 dB and 100.9 dB. Common sounds associated with routine care in a postsurgical intermediate care unit have a decibel level in the range of heavy truck traffic (about 80 dB). Noise influences the physiological state of sleep. It is important to reduce nurse-generated and environmental noise when patients are trying to sleep.
Added January 2014
The Extrinsic Risk Factors for Inpatient Falls in Hospital Patient Rooms
2008
Journal of Nursing Care Quality
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 23
Pages 233–241
Author(s): Tzeng, H., Yin, C.
A hospital can be a dangerous place for inpatients because of its unfamiliar physical environment and changes in patients’ medical conditions. Some research shows that a better physical facility design leads to better healthcare outcomes, such as fewer patient falls in acute-care hospitals. Eliminating the extrinsic risk factors for inpatient falls by improving hospital environment and design may decrease fall rates and fall-related injuries, although this link has not been examined systematically.
Added January 2014
Interruptions and Geographic Challenges to Nurses' Cognitive Workload
2009
Journal of Nursing Care Quality
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 24
Pages 194–200
Author(s): Redding, D., Robinson, S.
Inpatient care is fast-paced and requires nurses to constantly shift their attention to make clinical decisions and care for patients in a constantly environment. Nurses integrate complex thinking with psychomotor and affective skills to deliver interventions. This thinking is continually disrupted by interruptions and distractions, which compete for their attention and can lead to errors or omissions and potentially pose a risk to patient safety.
Added January 2014
Mapping the Nursing Process: A New Approach for Understanding the Work of Nursing
2007
Journal of Nursing Administration
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 34
Pages 101-109
Author(s): Potter, P., Grayson, D., Boxerman, S., Sledge, J., Wolf, L., Evanoff, B., Marshall, J.
Over the last 10 years, hospitals have tried to reconcile patients’ demands for high-quality, safe care along with payers’ demands for lower costs. As a result, many hospitals are looking for ways to streamline work processes, gain productivity, reduce costs, and maintain quality. Human factors engineering (HFE) techniques, drawn from the sciences of industrial engineering, ergonomics, and mathematics, have been used to analyze clinical care processes and restructure patient care delivery.
Added January 2014
