Plotting care: a modelling technique for visioning nursing practice in current and future contexts.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Nursing Practice
• Spatial Analysis in Healthcare

Background:

• Healthcare organizations face challenges in adapting service delivery and care patterns to changing environments.
• Relocation to new hospital buildings presents significant strategic and logistical hurdles for healthcare professionals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present an innovative modeling strategy to assist nurses in exploring current care practices.
• To visualize daily care activities within the context of proposed new hospital buildings.
• To facilitate cooperative planning for care delivery in a new clinical environment.

Main Methods:

• The study employed a modeling technique called 'plotting'.
• Plotting captures the inherent spatial-service knowledge within healthcare teams.
• This method translates existing team knowledge for collaborative future planning.

Main Results:

• Plotting enables nurses to explore and visualize their current care delivery patterns.
• The technique facilitates understanding of spatial relationships in proposed new environments.
• It supports co-operative efforts to plan for future care needs.

Conclusions:

• Plotting is a valuable tool for health professionals, clinical leaders, and educators.
• It enhances spatial analysis of care and other health service practices.
• This strategy aids in adapting to new healthcare contexts and optimizing service delivery.