Advancing Technology and Innovation to Optimize Nursing Practice and Value

n recent decades, ICUs have gotten larger to optimize patient privacy, mitigate the spread of infection, and accommodate advances in technology. Decentralization of nursing work stations and private rooms resulted in ICUs with long corridors where nurses are often expected to work in alcoves separate from one another. The distribution of nurses along hallways mitigates visibility, compromises teamwork, and makes collaboration and taking breaks more challenging. In two separate but related exploratory studies, researchers examined ICU layouts and nurse perceptions of stress, reactions to the physical work environment, teamwork, visibility, and likelihood of taking breaks. Learner Objectives Describe 3 developments in ICU design. Identify 3 design features that support ICU staff. Presenter Yolanda Keys, PhD, DHA, RN, NEA-BC, EDAC; Research Associate, The Center for Health Design; Concord, California Yolanda is a registered nurse and has over 25 years of nursing experience including roles as a clinician, leader, faculty member. With doctorates in healthcare administration and nursing, her research focuses on nurse leaders and healthy work environments – especially the built environment. She is an active member and past-president of the Nursing Institute for Health Design (NIHD). She is also an Editorial Advisory Board member for the Health Environments Research & Design (HERD) Journal. Nursing CE This event is approved for Nursing CE with the California Board of Nursing.