The Effect of Environmental Design on Reducing Nursing Errors and Increasing Efficiency in Acute Care Settings: A Review and Analysis of the Literature
2009
Environment and Behavior
Journal Article
Issue 6
Volume 41
Pages 755-786
Author(s): Chaudhury, H., Mahmood, A., Valente, M.
In acute care settings, the physical environment plays an important role in staff efficiency and patient safety. Some research suggests that poor environments can result in staff stress, anxiety, and distractions due to noise; artificial lighting; improper or inadequate ventilation; and disorienting layouts of nursing units. There is less research on how environmental factors affect nursing staff health, effectiveness, errors, and job satisfaction.
Added April 2014
Nurses’ Perception of Single-Occupancy Versus Multioccupancy Rooms in Acute Care Environments: An Exploratory Comparative Assessment
2006
Applied Nursing Research
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 19
Pages 118-125
Author(s): Chaudhury, H., Mahmood, A., Valente, M.
As people are living longer and the baby boomers age, the demand for hospital beds will increase. As new facilities are built to handle this influx of patients, the challenge for hospital designers and administrators is to design patient rooms that promote therapeutic goals, foster positive patient outcomes, and function as intensive care rooms. Recent research suggests that single-occupancy rooms are more suitable for infection control and patient care than multioccupancy rooms. However, no research has been done about nursing staff members’ perception of single-occupancy and multioccupancy patient rooms in acute care settings as it relates to patient care.
Added April 2014
Enhancing the traditional hospital design process: a focus on patient safety
March 2004
The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Safety
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 30
Pages 115-24
Author(s): Reiling, J.G., Knutzen, B.L., Wallen, T.K., McCullough, S. , Miller, R., Chernos, S.
The current study is an overview of innovative system engineering and patient safety factors, named as the Synergy model that a hospital system utilized to design their new facility.
Added April 2014
Environmental evaluation for workplace violence in healthcare and social services
2008
Journal of Safety Research
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 39
Pages 237-50
Author(s): McPhaul, K.M. , Murrett, K., Flannery, K. , Rosen, J., Lipscomb, J., London, M.
The purpose of this project was to contribute specific, evidence–based guidance to the healthcare and social services employer communities regarding the use of environmental design to prevent violence.
Added April 2014
Noise Levels in an Urban Hospital and Workers' Subjective Responses
1995
Archives of Environmental Health
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 50
Pages 247-251
Author(s): Bayo, M. V., Garcia, A. M., Armando, G.
Noise has become a major environmental problem as well as a public health concern, resulting in a wide range of negative consequences. Despite healthcare facilities’ attempts to foster favorable environments to assist in patient recovery and staff working conditions, noise levels are often higher than desirable in and around hospitals. There is a need to identify the main noisy areas and noise sources and evaluate the hospital staff’s reactions to noise.
Added April 2014
Interventions for the prevention of falls in older adults: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials
Issue 7441
Volume 328
Pages 680-686
Author(s): Chang, J.T., Morton, S.C, Rubenstein, L. Z., Mojica, W.A., Maglione, M., Suttorp, M.J., Shekelle, P. G.
Falls are a major health concern for older adults worldwide, not only because of the potential for fractures and head injuries, but also for the emotional toll—the fear and anxiety—that can develop as a result of an injury or close call. While the literature on fall interventions is vast, there is limited understanding about the best methods for preventing falls. The authors conducted an extensive review and analysis of relevant, rigorous research trials to assess the relative effectiveness of different types of fall interventions. Under comparison were falls risk assessment and management programs, exercise programs, environmental modification programs, and educational interventions.
Added March 2014
Effectiveness of a multifaceted intervention on falls in nursing home residents
2003
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 51
Pages 306–313
Author(s): Becker, C., Kron, M., Lindemann, U., Sturm, E., Eichner, B., Walter-Jung, B., Nikolaus, T.
Older people are particularly susceptible to falls and fractures due to mobility limitations and physical instability. Falls and fractures commonly result in functional deterioration, increased medical costs, and increased burden for all involved in the care setting. Attempts to prevent falls and reduce fall and fracture incidence rates both at home and in long-term care facilities span from educational interventions to adjustments of medication intake to environmental adaptations.
Added March 2014
Light is beneficial for infant circadian entrainment: an actigraphic study
2012
Journal of Advanced Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 8
Volume 68
Pages 1738–1747
Author(s): Tsai, S., Thomas, K. A., Lentz, M. J., Barnard, K. E.
When babies have their days and nights mixed up, it puts stress on the parents, disrupting their sleep, causing fatigue, and even leading to depression. Ambient light regulates the sleep-awake cycle in adults, however, it is less clear what role it plays in developing the circadian rhythms of infants. This paper takes a look at how light is related to infants’ circadian rest-activity patterns.
Added February 2014
Threading Needles in the Dark: The Effect of the Physical Work Environment on Nursing Practice
2009
Critical Care Nursing Quarterly
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 32
Pages 70–74
Author(s): Simmons, D., Graves, K., Flynn, E. A.
People’s ability to perform reliably and safely relies on the physical work environment. Nowhere is this connection more critical than in healthcare environments, which can be noisy, dimly lit, and chaotic. The United States Pharmacopeia addresses this issue in its draft general chapter of standards, “Physical Environments that Promote Safe Medication Use,” which specifies work environment guidelines to support efficient and safe medication use.
Added February 2014
Nurses’ Perceptions of How physical Environment Affects Medication Errors in Acute Care Settings
2011
Applied Nursing Research
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 24
Pages 229–237
Author(s): Mahmood, A., Chaudhury, H., Valente, M.
Medication errors in hospitals occur for a number of reasons, stemming from staff and organizational issues to aspects of the physical environment. Errors include omissions, giving the wrong type or amount of medication, and giving the wrong patient unneeded medication. Research has indicated that a significant amount of these errors are avoidable.
Added February 2014
Servicescape: Physical environment of hospital pharmacies and hospital pharmacists’ work outcomes
2008
Health Care Management Review
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 33
Pages 156-168
Author(s): Lin, B.Y.-J., Leu, W.-J., Breen, G.-M., Lin, W.-H.
Researchers have studied the healthcare work environment from a number of angles, from an organizational behavior perspective honing in on motivation and reward, to an occupational and environmental perspective concerned with comfort and ergonomics, to a pathogenic perspective interested in exposure to disease. The idea of a “servicescape” has arisen in healthcare marketing to investigate the impact of the physical environment of service settings on employees’ psychological states and perceptions.
Added February 2014
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
Qualitative Analysis of Therapeutic Light Effects on Global Function in Alzheimer’s Disease
2011
Western Journal of Nursing Research
Journal Article
Issue 9
Volume 33
Pages 933-952
Author(s): Nowak, L., Davis, J.
The occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is growing, with 68% of cases occurring in women. In addition to declines in global function, patients with AD experience reversal of day–night patterns, disturbed sleep–wake rhythms, and excessive daytime sleepiness, making managing AD difficult. Symptom management includes pharmacologic measures, environmental or milieu management, and behavioral interventions.
Added January 2014
Can modifications to the bedroom environment improve the sleep of new parents? Two randomized controlled trials
2011
Research in Nursing & Health
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 34
Pages 7-19
Author(s): Lee, K. A., Gay, C. L.
One of the major challenges of new parenthood is adjusting to the sleep disruption that comes with caring for a newborn. Parents-to-be know that caring for an infant with random sleep and feeding patterns will mean sleep deprivation and fatigue, but few are prepared for the actual physical and emotional demands.
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
Sleep promotion in the intensive care unit—A survey of nurses’ interventions
2011
Intensive and Critical Care Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 27
Pages 138-142
Author(s): Eliassen, K. M., Hopstock, L. A.
For patients in the intensive care unit (ICU), sleep deprivation could lead to a variety of physical and psychological issues (Friese, 2008) that impact the healing process and increase morbidity and mortality. There are many factors that contribute to poor sleep. This small-scale study investigates the perceptions of the sleep-promoting interventions that ICU nurses provide.
Added January 2014
Factors influencing sleep for parents of critically ill hospitalized children: A qualitative analysis
2011
Intensive and Critical Care Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 27
Pages 37-45
Author(s): Stremler, R., Dhukai, Z., Wong, L., Parshuram, C.
Given the shift in pediatric hospitals toward family-centered care, many parents spend the night with their hospitalized child. For parents who are already challenged by their child’s health condition, sleep is important to sustain their physical and emotional health and their strength to cope with the illness event, support their child and other family members, participate in decision-making, and maintain relationships. A number of factors may affect quality and quantity of sleep for parents while their child is hospitalized, but these remain unexplored in the literature.
Added January 2014
The Application of Color in Healthcare Settings
Author(s): Bosch, S. J, , Cama, R., Edelstein, E, Malkin, J
Added November 2012
Developing architectural lighting designs to improve sleep in older adults
2008
The Open Sleep Journal
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 1
Pages 40-51
Author(s): Figueiro, M., Saldo, E., Rea, M., Kubarek, K., Cunningham, J., Rea, M. S.
Light affects human health and well-being by affecting our ability to see the world, perceive distances and spatial relationships as well as modulating our circadian system. The circadian system which maintains the body's 24-hour cycle is entrained by the light and dark cycles of day and night as well as an internal oscillator located in the brain and a hormone melatonin. The circadian system regulates many of the bodies activities including sleep. A majority of older adults in long term care facilities suffer from sleep problems.
Added November 2012
Effects of different interior decorations in the seclusion area of a psychiatric acute ward
2005
Nordic Journal of Psychiatry
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 59
Pages 19-24
Author(s): Vaaler, A.E., Morken, G., Linaker, O.M.
Seclusion, or containment of a patient in an enclosed area, is a common practice in psychiatric acute wards. Traditionally such areas have been used for the dual purpose of meeting the safety and containment needs of behaviorally disturbed patients, and obtaining a decrease in sensory and emotional input (based on the belief that external stimuli would cause patients to suffer excessive mental anxiety). The design and furnishings of the seclusion area are influenced by this need to reduce external stimuli and maintain safety. They are typically sparsely furnished minimizing risk of any physical harm.
Added October 2012
