Healthcare leaders are focusing on design that supports effective operations and patient care, according to an article on the Medical Construction and Design website.

The objectives are to maximize staff efficiency by right-sizing and “right-fitting” patient care units with layouts that are efficient for nurses and the care team, to provide safe environments for patients and to foster collaborative team environments, the article said.

These considerations are among the key design features:

• Efficient flow and convenient access for common staff support areas, such as supply and medication rooms, is important to reduce caregiver walking distances

• The unit should be large enough to keep staff productive (24-32 beds for a medical-surgical unit), while not so large that it creates long walking distances

• To foster visibility, it is important to avoid blind corners and isolated rooms

Read the article.