Virtually every hospital function intersects at the nursing station, according to an article on the Hospital Build & Infrastructure website. This complexity creates a range of issues for designers.

Nursing stations need to be considered in the context of patient care as well as a functional workspace, the article said. Better nurse station design can increase staff efficiency and patient safety, while reducing stress. 

The placement of nursing stations can affect nursing staff behavior, patient interactions, traffic time, surveillance and job satisfaction.

In the centralized design, patient and staff privacy needs are considered, as it is a setting where greater collaboration can take place by providing space for private consultation. The decentralized station keeps the nurses closer to their patients, which may lead to nurses and physicians choosing to meet and consult in hallways, often within hearing distance of patients.

Read the article.