Research on nursing unit layouts: an integrative review

Abstract

STRUCTURED ABSTRACTPurpose: To present an integrative review of the research studies on nursing unit layouts.Methodology: Studies selected for review were published between 1956 and 2014. For the purpose of this review, a framework for integrative review was developed using research orientations. The three primary dimensions-technical, psychological, and social-of the designed environment and various combinations of these dimensions were used to define the research orientations of these studies.Findings: Of all the publications reviewed for the paper, 21 presented technical orientations, 16 psychological orientations, 3 social orientations, 20 psychotechnical orientations, 10 sociotechnical orientations, 2 psychosocial orientations, and 13 presented psychosociotechnical orientations. With only a few exceptions, several issues related to nursing unit layouts were investigated no more than one time in any one category of research orientations. Several other seemingly important issues including patient and family behavior and perception, health outcomes, and social and psychosocial factors in relation to unit layouts have not been studied adequately.Research implications: Future studies on nursing unit layouts will need to focus on patient and family behavior and perception, health outcomes, and social and psychosocial factors in different units. They will also need to focus on developing theories concerning the effects of layouts on the technical, psychological, and social dimensions of nursing units.Originality/value: Despite a long history of research on nursing unit layouts, an integrative review of these studies is still missing in the literature. This review fills in the gap using a novel framework developed based on research orientations.

Healing built-environment effects on health outcomes: environment–occupant–health framework

“…Elf, Nordin, Wijk, & McKee, 2017;Codinhoto, Tzortzopoulos, Kagioglou, Aouad, & Cooper, 2009;Ulrich, Berry, Quan, & Parish, 2010;Durmisevic & Ciftcioglu, 2010;Haq & Luo, 2012;Rashid, 2015). The purpose of these models is varied and influenced by diverse disciplinary foundations.…”

“…Researchers, in this case, are careful in terms of suggesting design implications. For example, the (dis)advantages of (de)centralized nursing unit layouts has to be discussed by staff and/or considered from the patients' point of view (Pati, Harvey, Redden, Summers, & Pati, 2015;Rashid, 2015); the optimal number of beds in a patient's room requires further studies (Chaudhury, Mahmood, & Valente, 2005;Van de Glind et al, 2007), while Yildirim and Yalcin (2016) discuss the benefits of single rooms. Studies indicated that using carpets, or other low-impact flooring solutions, did not show significant differences in reducing the risk of falls compared with a vinyl flooring (Hanger, 2017;Warren & Hanger, 2013); while Lachance et al's (2017) review concluded that compliant flooring was a promising strategy for preventing fall-related injuries.…”

Nursing Unit Design, Nursing Staff Communication Networks, and Patient Falls: Are They Related?

“…The results of this study suggest that communication network data may also be an important consideration to support desirable communication patterns that have the potential to reduce the number of patient falls. As Rashid (2015) notes: Unit layouts can do a great deal to encourage communication and collaboration by eliminating visual and physical barriers. Conversely, they can all too easily disrupt existing relationships by imposing unnecessary barriers.…”

“…These authors used TVI to compare various unit shapes and concluded that radial and double corridor units had the best visibility. However, as Rashid (2015) noted, TVI methodology only uses geometry and omits the human factors involved. Space Syntax analysis is another technique that could be useful to identify sight lines, as well as travel paths, under different unit designs, but may have some of the same limitations.…”

The Impact of Infusion Center Layout on Workflow and Satisfactions in Two Cancer Infusion Centers: A Case Study on Staff and Patients

“…The overall layout of a nursing unit is an important environmental design feature because it implies spatial relevance that impacts clinical practice (Rashid, 2015). An open layout may positively affect patients’ sense of safety and security as they can see others on the floor, facilitate patients’ need for social interaction, and provide a positive distraction for patients (Rashid, 2015; Wang & Pukszta, 2018).…”