Improving The Staff Experience In Healthcare Facilities

Improving The Staff Experience In Healthcare Facilities

Are you planning a healthcare facility refurbishment or a new-build project?

If so, you’ve likely considered the importance of patient-centric design. But have you thought about how the design of your facility affects your staff’s morale and performance? Having happy staff directly correlates to an improved patient experience. Conversely, low staff morale harms the productivity and overall success of a medical facility.

So how can you enhance the staff experience within your new facility through design?

Read on to discover our six top tips:

1. List The Pain Points of Your Staff:

The most important part about perfecting the staff experience through design, is effective staff consultation during the design process.

Your healthcare facility likely has a diverse range of staff, each with unique workflows to any other healthcare practice. Therefore, each team member likely has a unique set of pain points they encounter within their roles which restricts their productivity.

It’s important to find out the main pain points from each of the core operational teams to ensure your facility design is optimal. A good fitout design and build partner will consult thoroughly with operational staff to understand their pain points and make budget-conscious design decisions to resolve them.

Some examples of this include changing the door-swing direction of a patient treatment room to give the occupants more privacy, or altering the wall layout to create storage space for an Emergency Crash Cart.

After consultation, show your staff the final design to ensure the expectations within the organisation are aligned. Pinning the layout plan of your future facility up in a staff area or breakout space is a great way to do this, as it allows staff to discuss among themselves and provide suggestions or feedback.

2. Have A Thoughtfully Designed Staff Breakout Area:

The staff room is an important part of any healthcare facility, being a hub for staff to interact and have a break in between busy shifts. Therefore, the space should cater to staff well-being and positive team morale. There are several ways this can be achieved:

– Natural Light: There is a proven correlation between exposure to natural light, and improved mental health and wellbeing. If possible, place the staff area near exterior windows.

– Amenities: Comfortable seating, plenty of storage space, and a basic kitchenette facility are a must for staff satisfaction. Ensure your fitout provider is aware of all your appliance requirements so your staff kitchen is designed with enough power and storage space.

– Furniture: A variety of different seating styles should cater to the varying needs of staff throughout the working day. A combination of tables and chairs, paired with soft seating, gives staff an opportunity to both eat and relax when needed.

3. Optimise Staff Workstations:

Optimising workstations to suit your staff’s requirements is crucial for a high-performing team. Poorly designed workstations can lead to more clutter and a less productive working environment, which lowers staff morale.

Integrating storage solutions where practical is important to keep workstations clean and tidy. Ensure you pinpoint the types of storage you will need to create storage efficiency – i.e. if you have a printer by the workstation, you may want a pull-out shelf below the desk to retain the additional bench space.

Your fitout provider must also allow enough power and data for the desk, as well as consider other devices being used like a printer, phone, or EFTPOS machine. Also, be sure to take into account the future use of each workstation to futureproof your facility. This helps avoid the headaches caused by not having enough power and data outlets, or bench space, to operate effectively!

4. Incorporate Biophilic Design Elements:

Incorporating greenery into the healthcare environment promotes a calming atmosphere and can help to reduce stress.

While not suitable for clinical environments, consider adding these elements to staff areas, such as in the administration and staff breakout areas. It could be through a living wall, water feature, or even just fresh flowers or greenery.

The picture to the left shows organic reindeer moss used to form a client logo, creating an eye-catching design feature.

5. Utilise Zoning Of Services:

Everyone knows the frustration caused by staff conflict over the air conditioning temperature. But it doesn’t have to be that way. This can be avoided through effective staff consultation, and if required, creating separate zones for key services like HVAC and Audio Systems to allow more flexibility.

For example, air conditioning can be configured to be customised per room, rather than a whole area of the building being controlled by the same remote.

Speaker/PA system requirements are another important consideration for medical practices. Within many healthcare facilities, music is played through an audio system to enhance patient and staff comfort, and to aid in reducing noise transfer between rooms.

Allowing for the “zoning” of this system to different rooms or areas within the fitout allows staff to adjust the volume to their preference, creating the optimal environment for them to provide high-quality patient care.

6. Integrate Custom Cabinetry Solutions:

Cluttered benchtops and workspace are another common paint point for healthcare staff. Trolleys sitting in a high-traffic hallway, or benchtops littered with consumables are detrimental to staff’s productivity and satisfaction at work.

The solution is careful design and planning. Any appliances or large pieces of medical equipment within a room can be given a designated spot to be stored, keeping the remaining workspace tidy.

One example of this is integrating gloves, paper towels, and soap dispensers into joinery units above sinks and wash-hand basins.

What feedback do you receive from staff about your current healthcare facility? Would your new facility benefit from a more staff-centric design approach?

To discuss the needs of your healthcare facility, reach out to our project consultancy team today at [email protected]. We look forward to working with you to enhance your patient and staff experience, through a seamless design and build project!