Wellbeing is always an important topic, especially when it has to do with healthcare. However, when we design for healthcare we tend to put a majority of our focus on the patient, which isn’t a bad thing, but it does leave the clinicians lacking. Steelcase discusses this issue in their article “Taking Care of the Caretakers: Clinician Privacy”. There are two main design factors to consider when creating a space for clinicians – designing for privacy and designing for wellbeing.
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| Clinicians' Hub - Collaboration and Focus Space |
Designing for Privacy
While it is important for clinicians to have a space to communicate effectively with patients and co-workers, it is equally important for clinicians to have a more private space so they can focus on specific tasks. Most healthcare environments do not provide private spaces for clinicians, so they tend to forfeit their own wellbeing by refusing to take breaks and allowing their time to be interrupted.
Designing for Wellbeing
Privacy is a part of clinician wellbeing, but it is more important to keep in mind a variety of settings that promote different atmospheres. There are a couple specific spaces to keep in mind when designing for clinicians.
Clinicians’ Hub: Central Nursing
These spaces allow for collaboration, focused tasks, teaching and learning, as well as quick social exchanges, all within direct view of patient rooms so clinicians can stay aware of their patients. There should be multiple points of entry and exit in order to keep the space fluid, and there should be integrated technology so that clinicians are completely comfortable in the space.
Charge Nurse Enclave
These spaces are small and placed very close to patient rooms. The enclave is a semi-private room used for charting, phone calls, or videoconferencing, and is ideal for impromptu conversations and questions between colleagues.
Technology-Supported Collaboration
These spaces are focused on technological necessities for clinicians to share digital information and connect through videoconferencing. To create an optimal environment, these rooms should include high-definition videoconferencing capabilities as well as seated-height chairs to allow for longer meetings.
Clinician Retreat + Enclosed Respite
These spaces should be located near the Clinicians’ Hub and be big enough for one person to get the quick break they need in order to make it through the day. This area allows workers to re-center themselves or handle personal matters in order to reduce their stress load and the risk for medical errors.
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| Clinician Retreat - Focus Space |
Of course, many factors contribute to the wellbeing of occupants, including lighting. It is a fact that people perform better and have a more positive attitude when exposed to natural light, so I want to take full advantage of the windows along the perimeter of the clinic as well as the light wells in the center of the building. When natural light is not sufficient, I want to create spaces where the artificial lighting accurately represents the temperature and brightness of natural light. Since my design concept focuses on biophilic design, these lighting elements are very important and should be used to create a welcoming, nourishing environment for all. Not only will my lighting create such an environment, but it will also highlight other design aspects that convey my concept.
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| Innovative Lighting |
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| Innovative Lighting |
Catie,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your article choice this week. I also explored the needs of the clinicians in relation to healthcare design. I specifically like that you identified key elements or areas that should be included to support the clinicians wellbeing; such as, a clinicians hub, enclaves and retreat areas, which support the wellbeing of employees through community-based and private spaces.
Also, I am excited to see how you incorporate lighting within your project to imitate natural lighting, with artificial lighting. I think this is a great design element that will not only highlight your biophilic centered concept that is evident in your design for the NEXT facility. But, it will also highlight the support of both patients and clinicians, which is so important in a healthcare environment.
Overall, fantastic job and I am excited to see how your research is implemented in your design for the NEXT healthcare facility.
Catie, I really like the research you did this week. It was a nice refresher on the different enclaves and focus spaces. It's so important to make sure we're designing for the clinicians as well as the patients, so I'm glad you decided to focus on that this week. I also appreciated that you tied in lighting into your overall topic of wellbeing and then went on to say specifically how you want your created environments to respond to natural and artificial lights. Overall great blog!
ReplyDeleteIt's really important that we think about ALL of the users of the spaces we design. For the NEXT project, this includes both the patients and the clinicians. It's great that you took some time to research how to care for the caretakers because their role in the space is just as important. I hope your research is something you're able to apply easily to your designs.
ReplyDeleteYour ideas for your lighting are great. I think it's great that you plan to use lighting to create an environment that feels biophilic and highlights those elements. Good luck with figuring it all out!
Catie,
ReplyDelete"Taking care of the caretakers- Clinician privacy" was an excellent article to focus on this week. This article was a thoughtful look at spaces that will revitalize clinicians throughout the day.
I also appreciate your use of daylighting in the NEXT project and your commitment to Biophillic design in general. OUr NEXT project offers two walls of windows which is a great advantage. I am excited to see your ideas for the NEXT lighting plan.