Design Dilemma: Nurses’ Stations

Nurses’ stations are traditionally hubs of activity where nurses gather to work individually, collaborate, and socialize. However, they can also be busy, noisy places that are distracting and unfavorable for work. Current solutions to the traditional centralized station are to break up the nurses’ stations into small substations, either completely to create decentralized stations, or partially to create a hybrid form. Since hospitals are such multifaceted and dynamic workplaces, no one solution has proven effective for ensuring high job satisfaction, efficient work processes, safe environments, and/ or positive patient outcomes.