Staff Nurse Perceptions of Open-Pod and Single Family Room NICU Designs on Work Environment and Patient Care. (June 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Winner-Stoltz, Regina; Lengerich, Alexander; Hench, Anna Jeanine; O'Malley, Janet; Kjelland, Kimberly; Teal, Melissa
• Other Names: Samra Haifa A. section editor.
• Is Part Of: Advances in neonatal care. Volume 18:Number 3(2018)
• Publication Date: 2018-06
• Subjects: evidence-based NICU design -- intensive care units -- neonatal -- neonatal nursing -- nurses -- nursing research -- nursing staff -- single family room NICU; Newborn infants -- Medical care -- Periodicals; Newborn infants -- Diseases -- Nursing -- Periodicals; Premature infants -- Hospital care -- Periodicals; 618.9201
• DOI: 10.1097/ANC.0000000000000493
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1536-0903

Abstract

Abstract : Background: Neonatal intensive care units have historically been constructed as open units or multiple-bed bays, but since the 1990s, the trend has been toward single family room (SFR) units. The SFR design has been found to promote family-centered care and to improve patient outcomes and safety. The impact of the SFR design NICU on staff, however, has been mixed. Purpose: The purposes of this study were to compare staff nurse perceptions of their work environments in an open-pod versus an SFR NICU and to compare staff nurse perceptions of the impact of 2 NICU designs on the care they provide for patients/families. Methods/Search Strategy: A prospective cohort study was conducted. Questionnaires were completed at 6 months premove and again at 3, 9, and 15 months postmove. A series of 1-way analyses of variance were conducted to compare each group in each of the 8 domains. Open-ended questions were evaluated using thematic analysis. Findings/Results: The SFR design is favorable in relation to environmental quality and control of primary workspace, privacy and interruption, unit features supporting individual work, and unit features supporting teamwork; the open-pod design is preferable in relation to walking. Implications for Practice: Incorporating design features that decrease staff isolation and walking and ensuring both patient and staff safety and security are important considerations. Implications for Research: Further study is needed on unit design at a microlevel including headwall design and human milk mixing areas, as well as on workflow processes.