Evaluating the Nursing Practice Environment

Abstract

Background: Nursing is a crucial part of the healthcare service delivery in the UK. However, an increasing number of ward nurses are leaving the profession prematurely, due to ill-designed hospital wards.

Objectives:

- Identify the typical ward elements in a hospital ward setting;

- Establish the design features that have the greatest impact on ward nurses in their job role; and

- Explore the personal constructs of nurses that should be supported by these design features through their embodiment in ward elements.

Methods: A focus group was conducted with six staff nurses. This was followed by semi-structured interviews with 20 ward nurses. The study concluded by performing a post-occupancy evaluation of three hospital wards where these nurses worked. The results of the post-occupancy evaluation were triangulated against those of the focus group and semi-structured interviews.

Results: The findings of this study:

1) Established a case for the periodic post-occupancy evaluation of hospital wards;

2 Identified the design features most essential for nurses in hospital ward setting; and

3) Illuminated the personal constructs of nurses that should be supported by these design features.

Conclusions: A supportive nursing practice environment is essential for the therapeutic healing of patients in contemporary nursing. To ensure that ward nurses continue in gainful employment for longer, there is a need for periodic assessment of how the architectural design features of hospital wards support ward nurses in their job role.