Ventilation

nursedawn67, LPN · Sep 17, 2006

Hi everyone
I wanted to see what you thought about this. I just finished reading Florence Nightengales "nursing notes" and one of the chapters in her book is on ventilation in the hospital. Miss Nightengales theory is that opening the window is very important to the healing of patients. "Fresh" air is better than circulating "sick" air. I of course believe this to be true, as fresh air is definitely important to our spirit and well being, etc. I noticed however, that all of the hospitals where I have done my clinical rotations, their windows don't open. I don't know what their argument for having windows that don't open is. Perhaps they think the air is well circulated within the hospital? Or maybe they think the patients will become sicker with fresh air or maybe catch pneumonia? I think all hospitals should allow windows to be opened. There is nothing better than "fresh" air, IMO.

I have to agree, everyone needs some fresh air. I know myself when I have been at work and in the building all day, I get like a headache, I need to step outside and get some air. Heck even when I'm at home I step outside and get air.

babynurselsa, RN · Sep 17, 2006

Well one reason is most hospitals are multifloor facilities. Let's just say that I have worked at one facility that a patient got a window open and then proceed to exit said window..........

hellonurse36 · Sep 17, 2006

Not sure that the "fresh air" that would come through many urban hospital windows would be all that "fresh nowadays, what with pollution etc.

Terri in Greenville, NC

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2006

Yes, I was going to say that's it's a liability issue. Also, keeps intruders out. In today's world, the last thing a facility needs is drug addicts a-coming in through the unsupervised portals of entry. The central air conditioning units in use today are supposed to filter and re-circulate the air at better quality than what is in the outside atmosphere--supposedly.

We had a worker who was cleaning an upper story window at one facility where I worked. You have to realized that as you go up, the winds increase in intensity. Guess he leaned out the unlocked, open window he was doing something with and, the theory is, the wind pulled him out where he fell to his death. I also worked in a facility that had it's psych units on the 11th floor. Don't know what brilliant mind made that decision. They had two patient's who died. One by committing suicide and jumping out a window. The other by an accidental fall as he was trying to escape confinement. After that it took a signed order from a deity to get any of the keys to unlock one of those windows.

TazziRN, RN · Sep 17, 2006

The vent system will circulate "clean" air throughout the building, something that did not happen in Flo's day.

CityKat, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2006

Yeh, I see the safety and liability issue. But what about putting bars on the windows of the upper stories? It sounds crazy, but something about having a window shut all the time versus open sort of reminds me of an old attic.

Pollution is definitely a factor:( Way to much pollution now adays, for sure.

BAndersonRN · Sep 18, 2006

Fresh air is always nice! And it would be nice if we could open windows in the hospital, however just as TazziRN mentioned, the ventilation and climate control systems that are used in the present day are much more elaborate and advanced than what they had 150+ years ago in Florence's time. Not only is there potential problem for patients exiting out windows, but also the possibility of pollen, mold spores, air pollutants, insects, and other potentially irritating substances that would then easily gain access to the hospital. It would also result in the heating and cooling systems working overtime and just overall isn't really that good of an idea in modern day hospitals. Florence was trying to stress that improving air circulation by opening windows would allow for ventilation of stale, stagnant air. Back in those times it was thought that cool night air could cause pneumonia (actually some people still think this today..."Don't go out into the rain without a coat on, you'll catch cold" etc...) so they would keep the windows closed to prevent drafts, cool air, etc since they thought that this was the culpret in causing disease.

MIA-RN1, RN · Sep 18, 2006

I am not sure how they heated things in Flo's day, but it could be also that there was smoke from fires or woodstoves thickening up the air a bit and her idea was to clear it out.

rn/writer, RN · Sep 18, 2006

We have a good compromise at the large urban hospital where I work. The main part of most window is stationary, but there is a panel below one of them that has a couple of vents that crank open. Little bit of fresh air with no danger of anyone falling/jumping out.

augigi, CNS · Sep 18, 2006

I worked briefly in an ICU in Norway in December last year - it was -15 deg C and they had the ICU windows open in the room of a postop VAD patient! I was horrified!! The infection risk!

GooeyRN, ADN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN · Sep 18, 2006

The windows do open at the last place I worked. But there were always wars between the patients sharing the room as to whether the window should be opened or closed. I wished that they didn't open since I never seemed to make them both happy. But then I guess they would fight over the air conditioner/heater being on or off more.

**Ventilation**

Ventilation