NFPA Journal - January/February 2018 - 60

Looking at the
Evidence
Wing single-occupancy rooms. Survey
data suggested that patients enjoyed
greater satisfaction with the single
occupancy rooms compared to the
older units on Baystate's campus: 90
percent felt patient rooms were quiet at
night, compared to 75 percent before;
95 percent felt rooms and bathrooms
were clean, compared to 89 percent
before; and 95 percent felt lighting and
temperature controls created a comfortable environment, compared to 75
percent before.
Survey feedback led to meetings

with Baystate's patient family advocacy
group. Representatives offered insight
into which features impacted the feel
and functionality of patient rooms.
Families appreciated the three separate room zones for nursing, patients,
and family space, as well as the warm
wood tones of the décor. The natural
wood headwall was part of the desired
impression of hospitality, making
patients and visitors feel more comfortable. Lighting fixtures for reading
were key. Less important, however,
were the tiling and sconce along the

footwall, which patients had neither
noticed nor used. Millwork platforms
and shelving were eliminated because
patients and physicians were not putting them to use.
The interdisciplinary team survey
confirmed problematic distances
between nurse stations in Phase 1.
Line-of-sight was limited; since staff
assignments were spread out, nurses
could not see all patient rooms from a
single workstation. Off-stage areas were
highly successful, reducing the noise
of cart traffic in corridors and adding
team spaces to engage clinical team collaborations. Since Phase 1 work areas
lacked direct access to main corridors,
Phase 4 added a door and windows for
more direct connections between work
areas, corridors, and nurse stations.
The decentralized stations of Phase 1
were consolidated into larger stations,
with corner nurse stations connected
by open work areas so staff could see
each other between stations. Direct
links were built between off-stage team
areas and nurse stations.

7
MONITOR IMPLEMENTATION OF
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION

1

3

4

60 | NFPA JOURNAL * J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8

t
A number of changes were made to the
Phase 4 wing as a result of the evidencebased evaluation of the Phase 1 wing. Here,
a Phase 1 inpatient room headwall is shown
at top, with Phase 4 changes, as well as elements that were kept, indicated below.
1. Removal of sconce not used by patients;
2. Removal of custom light soffit, replaced
with light fixture that maintained varying light
levels; 3. Maintained nursing zone with separate lighting; 4. Kept warm wood tones to
maintain the desired hospitality aesthetic.

STEFFIAN BRADLEY ARCHITECTS

2

This step allows adjustments to be
made and for input to be provided
throughout the process. The project
team ensures that design strategies
are executed as specified in the design
documents.
In the Phase 1 West Wing patient
rooms, custom wood valances that had
been included over the headwalls and
footwalls were not cost effective. Even
so, design team members worried
about removing this design element.
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - January/February 2018
