The role of physical design and informal communication

Informed Consent Form for Staff
Crouse Hospital
Title of Study: The Role of Physical Design and Informal Communication and
Learning in Reducing Stress and Gaining Competency Among New Nurse Graduates
Background/Purpose: You are invited to take part in a Cornell University-Crouse
Hospital research study exploring ways to reduce the stress and increase the gaining of
nursing competencies among new nurse graduates (NNG). Specifically, the purpose
of this study is to learn how the design and layout of hospital facilities influence
informal communication, interaction, and learning among new nurse graduates during
the formal orientation process on a medical unit; and to explore the relationship
between such communication patterns and job stress and the gaining of nursing
competencies. Please read this form carefully and ask any questions you may have
before agreeing to take part in the study.
Procedures: If you agree to be in this study you will be asked to participate in the
following activities during the 3 month new nurse orientation period. The time
commitment will be minimal and all data will remain anonymous.
• Fill out a brief questionnaire three times during the twelve week new nurse formal orientation
period for a total of three surveys. Survey completion will occur while you are at work and
should take no more than 20 minutes of your time per survey.
• Participate in brief interviews at your convenience at various times during the research
observation period. The purpose of the interviews is to better understand the new nurses’
experience from your perspective. When convenient, we will ask to record the conversations
using a portable digital recorder. If you decline, no recorder will be used. Transcriptions of
the recordings will remain anonymous in all presentations and reports of the findings.
Recording interviews simply allows the researcher to focus on what the nurse is saying, rather
than trying to manually capture the discussion; and to let the nurses’own voices be heard
(anonymously) in presenting the findings.
Additional data collection methods employed in this study but which require no direct
time or involvement on your part will include:
• Members of the Cornell research team “shadowing” (i.e. following at a distance) new nurse
graduates to track type, duration, and location of interactions with other staff (such as yourself)
using a Palm Pilot programmed for this form of data collection. In no way will the shadowing
interfere with your work, and all recorded data will remain anonymous.
• An evaluation of the physical qualities (e.g., the design, layout) of your work setting such as
the nurse station, break and lounge areas, and even the general building itself so that we can
better understand and describe the physical setting in which you work.
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