Adding additional grab bars as a possible strategy for safer hospital stays
2010
Applied Nursing Research
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 23
Pages 45-51
Author(s): Tzeng, H.-M., Yin, C.-Y., Schechtman,S.
Inpatient falls are the most commonly reported incidents in hospitals, yet they are largely avoidable and, therefore, an unsolved issue in patient care. It comes as no surprise that patient falls tend to occur most frequently in patient rooms, patient bathrooms, and hallways—the places in which patients spend the majority of their time during their hospital stay. Falls are attributed to breakdowns in communication between patients and caregivers, inadequate assistance, and also the design of the physical environment.
Added February 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
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
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
Direct observation of behavior: a review of current measures for use with older adults with dementia
2008
Research in Gerontological Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 1
Pages 52-76
Author(s): Curyto, K.J., Van Haitsma, K., Vriesman, D.K.
There are a number of methods to assess specific areas of behavior when evaluating changes in functioning, assessing the effects of an intervention, or measuring the effectiveness of a program of care. Some of these methods include: self-report, caregiver report, and family report of person-specific behaviors. However, self-reporting by dementia patients is often not reasonable given their cognitive decline and communication challenges. Ratings from other people can introduce measurement errors.
Added January 2014
Impact of Medication Storage Cabinets on Efficient Delivery of Medication and Employee Frustration
2010
Journal of Nursing Care Quality
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 25
Pages 352-357
Author(s): Hull, T., Czirr, L. , Wilson, M.
Safe medication administration is essential to ensuring positive patient outcomes and is a priority in healthcare institutions. Recent innovations in technology and automation are designed to eliminate errors as well as move activities closer to the patient’s bedside to improve nursing workflow. It has been postulated that moving medications and supplies closer to the point of care reduces nurses’ traveling time and makes it easier to administer medication.
Added January 2014
Noise in the Operating Room—What Do We Know? A Review of the Literature
2010
Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 6
Volume 25
Pages 380-386
Author(s): Hasfeldt, D., Laerkner, E., Birkelund, R.
Noise is a general stressor and should be avoided in the operating room (OR). However, over the last 10 years, while the focus has been on preventing air pollution and maximizing sterility in the OR, very little attention has gone toward preventing noise pollution. Meanwhile, there is more and more noisy technological equipment in the OR, and it can be assumed that problems with noise in the OR have not decreased.
Added January 2014
Patients’ Interactions in an Intensive Care Unit and Their Memories of Intensive Care: A Mixed Method Study
2013
Intensive and Critical Care Nursing
Journal Article
Author(s): Meriläinen, M, Kyngäs, H, Ala-Kokko, T
The various equipment and devices in the intensive care unit (ICU) make it the most technologically sophisticated environment in any hospital. But, from a patient’s perspective, being connected to various devices; experiencing unsettling noises, smells, lighting, and uncomfortable temperatures; and enduring the perceptions of other patients as care objects can cause both physical and mental stress.
Added January 2014
Bathing people with dementia: when education is not enough
2012
Journal of Gerontological Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 9
Volume 38
Pages 43-51
Author(s): Gaspard, G., Cox, L.
Dementia is increasing at the rate of one case every 7 seconds. As such, the need for methods for caring for these patients with dignity also increases. Current research indicates that many people with dementia respond negatively to bathing, in part because they don’t feel comfortable being naked in front of other people or with unfamiliar bathing equipment, and may develop resistant behaviors.
Added January 2014
Influence of nursing unit layout on staff communication and interaction patterns
2008
Doctoral Dissertation: Cornell University,
Thesis
Author(s): Dutta, R.
The quality and design of the built environment has acquired a very significant role in improving patient and staff satisfaction in terms of overall healthcare experience. There is evidence from health care and beyond that working in teams enhances an organization’s effectiveness, produce a better patient care both in terms of improving health delivery and staff motivation, and in superior patient outcomes. Communication among all team members of the groups is essential for the success of delivering healthcare services.
Added November 2012
Enhancing a primary care environment: a case study of effects on patients and staff in a single general practice
2008
British Journal of General Practice
Journal Article
Issue 552
Volume 58
Pages 465-470
Author(s): Rice, G., Ingram, J., Mizan, J.
The stress and satisfaction of patients and staff are important healthcare outcomes. Patient satisfaction and stress strongly impacts patient health, the images of healthcare organizations, patient loyalty, patient retention and attraction, operating revenue, and profit margin. Staff stress and job satisfaction directly impacts the quality of patient care, work efficiency, and staff turnover intent.
Added November 2012
Do absorption and realistic distraction influence performance of component task surgical procedure?
2010
Surgical Endoscopy
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 24
Pages 902-907
Author(s): Pluyter, J. R., Buzink, S. N., Rutkowski, A. F., Jakimowicz, J. J.
Surgeons’ ability of focusing their attention on surgical tasks directly impacts their performance on surgical operations, which is an important factor influencing quality of care, work efficiency, patient satisfaction, and many other healthcare outcomes. Attention or concentration is more important for performing minimal invasive surgeries which involve complex technologies and put high physical and cognitive demands on surgeons.
Added November 2012
Single Room Maternity Care: The Nursing Response.
2001
Birth
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 28
Pages 173-179
Author(s): Janssen, P. A., Harris, S. J., Soolsma, J., Klein, M., Seymour, L. C.
Single room maternity care focused on family-centered experience, has gained popularity in recent times. However, this model necessitates new demands on nursing which requires competence across the spectrum of labor, delivery, postpartum and newborn care. In another study authors of this paper have established client satisfaction with the new model of maternity care.
Added November 2012
Direct cellular vs. indirect pager communication during orthopaedic surgical procedures: A prospective study
2009
Technology and Health Care
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 17
Pages 149-157
Author(s): Ortega, G. R., Taksali, S., Smart, R., Baumgaertner, M. R.
Staff-to-staff communication is critical to quality and efficient healthcare. Physicians, nurses, and other healthcare workers all use various methods of communication in their daily work. Difficulties in staff communication often lead to interruptions and delays in patient care, variation in response time, medical errors, violation of privacy, and dissatisfaction in patient and staff.
Added October 2012
Evaluation of the built environment at a Children's Convalescent Hospital: Development of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (TM) parent and staff satisfaction measures for pediatric health care facilities
2004
Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 25
Pages 10-20
Author(s): Varni J. W., Burwinkle T. M., Dickinson P., Sherman S. A., Dixon P., Ervice J. A., Leyden P. A., Sadler B. L.
The expectation that the hospital built environment may affect the health and satisfaction of patients and their families continues to interest health care providers and hospital administrators as they differentiate and distinguish the quality and health outcomes of their services. In preparation for the design, construction, and postoccupancy evaluation of a new Children’s Convalescent Hospital, focus groups were conducted and measurement instruments were developed to quantify and characterize parent and staff satisfaction with the built environment of an existing pediatric health care facility, a 30-year-old, 59-bed, long-term, skilled nursing facility dedicated to the care of medically fragile children with complex chronic conditions. The measurement instruments were designed in close collaboration with parents, staff, and senior management involved with the existing and planned facility.
Added October 2012
A Novel PACU Design for Noise Reduction
2008
Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 23
Pages 226-229
Author(s): Smykowski, L.
As redesign and renovation of patient care units occur, health care providers need to consider the importance of lowering environmental stressors. Noise in the hospital environment is one well documented problem, with detrimental effects to both patients and staff. The paper reviews the redesign of the organization's PACU that explored a unique floor plan to minimize noise and improve privacy.
Added October 2012
Factors Determining Inpatient Satisfaction With Care
2002
Social Science & Medicine
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 54
Pages 493-504
Author(s): Thi, P. L.N. , Briancon,S., Empereur, F., Guillemin, F.
With the growing interest in patient-centered care, patient evaluations of their own experiences have been increasingly used to improve the quality of care. Factors associated with satisfaction are thought to include the structure, process and outcome of care as well as patient sociodemographic, physical and psychological status, and attitudes and expectations concerning medical care.
Added October 2012
The Ecology of the Patient Visit: Physical Attractiveness. Waiting Times and Perceived Quality of Care
2008
Journal of Ambulatory Care Management
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 31
Pages 128-141
Author(s): Becker, F, Douglass, S
Waiting times can be a challenge in outpatient facilities. This may impact the satisfaction of patients as well as the efficiency of staff. While the actual waiting time is often a result of process, the quality of the wait, and the overall waiting experience, can be effected by the environment.
Added October 2012
Cancer Patients' Satisfaction With Care in Traditional and Innovative Ambulatory Oncology Clinics
2008
Journal of Nursing Care Quality
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 23
Pages 251-257
Author(s): Groff, S. L., Carlson, L. E., Tsang, K., Potter, B. J.
Recent advances in cancer care allow more cancer patients to be treated on an ambulatory care basis, whether chemotherapy, radiation therapy or follow-up care. Care can include physical, psychological, and emotional challenges. Ambulatory oncology clinics have the opportunity to create positive treatment experiences for patients.
Added October 2012
