Design Lessons From the Analysis of Nurse Journeys in a Hospital Ward.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Single-ward observational case study (graded by design analogy for non-clinical architectural research)
PubMed 29902936 · doi:10.1177/1937586718779244
What was done
Researchers conducted an ethnographic observational study of nurse movement in a single ward at a multispecialty hospital in Tehran. Over 120 hours across various shifts, they observed 42 nursing staff members and tracked the frequency, origins, and destinations of their room-to-room routes.
What was found
Approximately 1,300 room-to-room journeys were documented. The authors reported a significant difference between the usage frequencies of different routes, though specific numerical distances, transit durations, and statistical test values were not reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
Identifying the most critical and frequently traversed routes provides empirical data to inform spatial layout choices in hospital design, aiming to minimize non-care transit time for nursing staff.
Limits
The study was confined to a single ward at one hospital, limiting generalizability to different layout configurations and medical specialties. The abstract reports no numerical metrics for walking distances, time spent walking, or clinical outcomes.
Cited by
- supports Hospital nurses walk multiple miles during a single shift to fetch items and retrieve medicine.