[paradisemakai]

No. 1 pet peeve:
Inaccessible sharps container. Who are these people with screwdrivers that put one sharps container in a room with two patients and it's in the front of the room so if you're taking care of the patient by the window you have to walk all the way around two patients and their family members to dispose of a needle.

No. 2 and this is truly wishful thinking: Some kind of device that raises the bed on command to a back-friendly height and then automatically lowers it when the nurse steps away. Ahh...my back feels better just thinking about it.

[anticoagulationurse]

All the appropriate equipment (sharps, sink, gloves, linens, etc) in the same location in every room. In addition to all of the previously mentioned wonderful ideas!

[lamielpn]

Lights on at least 2 walls, not just the headwall. Better uverhead ltghting. The head wall kight wouldnt make all that noise when the cord is pulled. The bathrooms would have enough for a person on each side of the commode and farther away from the sink. This way if someone does fall, you can get to them, plus, if they fall near the sink, they run the risk of further injury from striking the sink.Toilet seats that can be swivelled left or right. Where I work, every one has a private room, so all that I have said is what the current rooms need to have tweaked.Also, call buttons near the floor, where most people remain once they fall.

[Marjie]

Would love to see flat plugs or recessed outlets so you don't break outlets when raising and lowering the bed.

[pattyweb]

Originally Posted by lamielpn

Also, call buttons near the floor, where most people remain once they fall.

I love it. So TRUE!

[ROBIN45]

I work in a nursing home. I'd have sterdier furniture and all electric beds. I'm tired of banging my shins on the cranks people leave out. I'd also have more electrical outlets in the rooms and all of them waist high. There needs to be larger bathrooms with wider doors for patients with walkers and wheel chairs to get into. Brighter lights would be good. The closets in the rooms need to be larger to fit clothes and extra supplies for the patient. Robin

[fivewestortho]

Have the least amount of furniture and the most pt friendly lounge chairs. I work on an ortho pedic post op floor with new hips and knees. We are constantly looking for walkers, bedside comodes, loungers, and call lights long enough to reach from the wall to where the pt is sitting. I also think that it was not a nurse who designed the lighting in some of the patient room. Where is ther extra light for dressing changes, foley catheters placement, pt reading. UGH!!! There is so much. I trained in a new hospital that found out that they had hung the bathroom doors backwards. UGH!!! They did not ask a nurse. Maybe that could be a new quiz program. Ask a nurse.

[fleetwoodrn]

I did a project in nursing school to design a patient room that was well recieved by instructors as well as students. It had a basic premis that it was a private room with nothing on the floor except the bed wheels. All the equipment was suspended from the cieling or walls. The visitor chairs were attached to the walls and folded out of the way when not in use. All the equipment for vital signs and Telemetry monitoring as well as the TV was mounted in a console above the bed with displays facing both sides of the bed. IV bags and pumps were mounted on tracks in the ceiling to allow movement within the room and into the bathroom without an IV pole to trip on. The TV was mounted to the patient could see it whether lying flat or sitting up as it moved within the overhead console with the movement of the bed position. Most equipment was remoted through "bluetooth" type wireless connection or was on a pull down tether from the console. Such as BP cuffs, O2 sensors, thermometer probes and tele monitors. phones were wireless and handsets were attached to the bed. The tray table was also attached to the bed on a slide rail that allowed it to be positioned all the way at the foot of the bed or turned to the side for tha patient in a chair (recliner) next to the bed. Having the equipment mounted in the room reduced the infection control risks as no equipment was being taken from room to room (patient to patient). Wall closets for linens and nursing supplies were mounted on the wall adjoining the hallway which allowed them to be restocked from the hallway and accessed from inside the room. Wall mounted swing arm lamps were mounted on both sides of the head of the bed for patient use and during patient treatments (Dressing changes, foley placement, etc...) as well as for the patient to use for reading without the larger overhead (cieling lights) needing to be on, preventing bright lights in the patients eyes. Soiled linen, sharps containers, Medication bins and trash recepticles were also mounted on the hallway wall allowing restocking and pick up from the hall without disturbing the patient. All outgoing items were contained in the area below the counter height while all incoming items were available above counter height (about 36 inches). Trash containers in the room would be mounted on the wall and attached the the bedside table and could be emptied PRN by Nurse aids and nurses into the bulk containers along the hallway wall.
The bathroom facilities were enclosed by an accordian style wall that could be opened completely to allow easy access for wheelchairs, lifts and staff while assisting patients and closed to allow privacy to the patients that needed no help. A "Murphy bed" was installed in the wall to allow patient's caregiver (family) to stay overnight with reasonable comfort while allowing access to the patient by staff members. The shower or tub was accessible on three sides to allow access with wheeled shower chairs and lifts as needed as well as staff who are needed to assist patients.
The hospital I work at presently is adding an entire wing and so far as I have been able to find out has not taken any of the suggestiong made by staff nurses or anyone else who will actually be working the area. I have tried to talk to the contractors directly to suggest changes to no avail. It is sad to see $93,000,000 being spent on a project that could be soo much better and easier to work in. Thank you for the opportunity to vent.

[Lynn Huff]

I am in the process of designing inpatient rooms for maternity services. Here are some things I have thought about. Do you have other ideas?

1. Sink at entrance
2. Double door bathrooms - cascading shower with seat - no tub
3. Murphy beds for families
4. Two tv's - one for patient - one for family
5. Sofa/endtables with llights
6. microwave

[navynurse06]

I don't know if its been posted (didn't read all of post ) but my suggestion is: private rooms for all!
I hate 2,3,and 4 bed rooms.