Developing, validating and testing a Ward Environment Assessment Tool: WEAT

Abstract

Aims
To develop, validate and test a ward environment assessment tool (WEAT) for post-occupancy evaluation
of hospital wards from the perspectives of ward nurses, using Person-Environment fit theory.

Background
It is argued that as the needs and expectations of various user groups of healthcare facilities would vary,
so would the tools to measure the suitability of the architectural design features of these healing
environments for different groups of users. However, a review of relevant literature revealed that there is
a dearth of assessment tools to appraise the adequacy of healthcare facilities for nursing staff.

Methods
Extant literature was reviewed to construct WEAT. Twenty ward nurses were interviewed to obtain user
perspectives on the ward environment. Post-occupancy evaluation of three hospital wards was undertaken
to validate and test WEAT.

Results
WEAT: A new post-occupancy evaluation tool was created.

Conclusions
WEAT measures the impacts of ward environment on nurses in four personal constructs; namely physical,
cognitive, sensory and universal.

Implications for Nursing Management
WEAT is an innovative management decision-making tool for ward managers, who may use its results to
argue for workspace redesign with facilities managers, explore job readjustments with occupational health
nurses, and review job description with human resource managers.