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The role of physical design and informal communication

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Joseph (2006) cites anecdotal evidence that staff members who move from a<br />

centralized unit to a decentralized unit <strong>of</strong>ten feel isolated <strong>and</strong> miss the camaraderie <strong>and</strong><br />

support <strong>of</strong> the centralized unit. A similar reaction was echoed by staff at Sutter<br />

Roseville Medical Center in Roseville, California where lack <strong>of</strong> spatial transparency in<br />

a decentralized unit inhibited interaction <strong>and</strong> collaboration among staff (Flynn &<br />

Barista, 2005). <strong>The</strong> horseshoe shaped decentralized stations left the nurses feeling<br />

isolated <strong>and</strong> unable to effectively support each other. <strong>The</strong> Clinical manager reported<br />

that the stations were so decentralized that the staff would not even know if everyone<br />

showed up for a shift. Dutta (2008) conducted a pre-post <strong>design</strong> study to assess the<br />

impact <strong>of</strong> decentralized vs. centralized nursing station layout on opportunistic<br />

<strong>communication</strong> <strong>and</strong> interaction patterns. He found that the frequency <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>communication</strong> between medical staff decreased in a decentralized layout. In fact, in<br />

the new decentralized unit, there were 54% fewer short interactions per hour than in<br />

the old centralized unit.<br />

1.9.1.2 Location <strong>of</strong> Communication on the Nursing Unit<br />

To date, very little attention has been paid to where on the nursing unit<br />

different types <strong>of</strong> staff tend to communicate <strong>and</strong> for what reason. Developing a better<br />

underst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>of</strong> the location <strong>of</strong> interactions could help <strong>design</strong>ers plan nursing units<br />

that better support the desired forms <strong>of</strong> <strong>communication</strong> among the multidisciplinary<br />

healthcare team. <strong>The</strong> previously cited study by Stryker (2004) that investigated the<br />

effect <strong>of</strong> workplace <strong>design</strong> on face-to-face <strong>communication</strong> found that team<br />

<strong>communication</strong> was positively related to the <strong>informal</strong> spaces – corridors, break areas,<br />

<strong>informal</strong> meeting spaces – <strong>and</strong> non-team <strong>communication</strong> was associated with formal<br />

<strong>of</strong>fice space. Stated another way, members <strong>of</strong> the team took advantage <strong>of</strong> what are<br />

commonly perceived as unproductive, ancillary areas for opportunistic<br />

22

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