Room Design-A Phenomenological-Hermeneutical Study: A Factor in Creating a Caring Environment.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Design
• Nursing Studies
• Patient Experience

Background:

• Medical technology has advanced significantly, yet intensive care unit (ICU) environments lag in design development.
• The impact of evidence-based room design on conveying a caring attitude to patients remains under-explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of evidence-based room design in ICUs on the perception of nursing care.
• To explore how different environmental designs and nursing approaches affect the communication of caring attitudes.

Main Methods:

• Conducted ten nonparticipant observations in ICU patient rooms with two distinct designs.
• Performed interviews with nursing staff to gather qualitative data.
• Analyzed observational and interview data using a phenomenological-hermeneutical approach.

Main Results:

• Redesigned ICU spaces did not demonstrably result in a more caring attitude from staff.
• Nursing staff's 'gaze' during patient interactions was interpreted as a key indicator of caring: an 'instrumental gaze' (task-oriented) versus an 'attentive and attuned gaze' (patient-centered).
• Caring was perceived when nurses adopted a person-centered approach with an attentive and attuned gaze, not typically with a task-oriented approach.

Conclusions:

• Environmental design alone does not guarantee the perception of caring in ICUs.
• A person-centered nursing approach, characterized by an attentive and attuned gaze, is crucial for conveying care.
• Supportive ICU environmental design should aim to cultivate and facilitate person-centered nursing practices.