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. 2023 Jan 25;23(1):81.
doi: 10.1186/s12913-023-09073-8.

Comparison of experiences of nursing staff and patients before and after move to 100% single-bed room hospital in Australia: mixed methods

Lynette Cusack  1 , Rebecca Munt  2 , Naomi Verdonk  2 , Tim Schultz  3 , Jill Maben  4
Affiliations

Comparison of experiences of nursing staff and patients before and after move to 100% single-bed room hospital in Australia: mixed methods

Lynette Cusack et al. BMC Health Serv Res. .

Abstract

Background: There is sufficient and consistent international evidence of issues reported by nurses working in single-bed room environments, requiring a design that is not only comfortable for patients but meets nurses working needs. This paper presents a comparison of nursing staff and patients experience prior to a move to 100% single-bed room hospital in 2016 (Stage 1) and actual experiences after the move in 2021 (Stage 2) in South Australia.

Method: Mixed method case study design. Survey sample of forty-two nursing staff; twelve patient interviews of their experiences of current environment and; thirteen nursing staff interviews of their experiences delivering nursing care in 100% single bed-room environment.

Results: Nurses and patients highlighted single-bed rooms contributed to patients' privacy, confidentiality, dignity and comfort. As anticipated in Stage 1, nurses in Stage 2 reported lack of patient and staff visibility. This impacted workload, workflow and concern for patient safety.

Conclusion: Patient and nursing staff experiences are interdependent, and implications of single-bed room accommodation are complicated. Future impacts on the health system will continue to affect hospital design, which must consider nurses working needs and patient safety and comfort.

Keywords: Case study; Mixed methods, Patient experiences; Nurses experiences; Single-bed room hospitals; Staff expectations.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Means scores + 1 SD for ten sub-scales of the current ward layout, environment and facilities measured in four wards of the hospital during Stage 1 (darker) and Stage 2 (lighter). The sample size for each measure is included in the bars. ** P ≤ 0.001, * P ≤ 0.01)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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