Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 19, 2025
Setting Up a Stroke Team Algorithm and Conducting Simulation-based Training in the Emergency Department - A Practical Guide
Published on: January 15, 2017
Relationship of the Built Environment on Nursing Communication Patterns in the Emergency Department: A Task
Introduction:
The physical layout of the emergency department affects the way in which patients and providers move within the space and can cause substantial changes in workflow and, therefore, affect communication patterns between providers. There is no 1 ED design that enables the best patient care, and quantitative studies looking at ED design are limited. The goal of this study was to examine how different ED designs, centralized and decentralized, are associated with communication patterns among health care professionals.
Methods:
A task performance, direct observation time study was used. By developing a novel tablet-based digital mapping tool using a cloud-based mapping platform (ArcGIS), data on provider actions and interactions were collected and mapped to a precise location within the emergency department throughout an entire nursing shift.
Results:
The difference in the duration of nurse-physician interactions between the 2 ED designs was statistically significant. Within the centralized design, nurse-physician interactions totaled 14 minutes and 38 seconds compared with 30 minutes and 11 seconds in the decentralized design (t = 2.31, P = 0.02). More conversations between nurses and physicians occurred inside the patient's room in the decentralized design.
Discussion:
Our findings suggest that the ED design affects communication patterns among health care providers and that the design has the potential to affect the quality of patient care.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Barriers to Effective Communication II
Cultural barriers:
Differences in values, beliefs, religion, knowledge, and tradition can significantly impact communication. Awareness of nonverbal cues is critical, especially when conversing with a patient from a different culture. What appears appropriate in one culture may be inappropriate in another.
Semantic barriers:
As a result of their tendency to use...
01:25Role of Communication in the Nursing Process I: Assessment and Diagnosis
The nursing process considers the patient's emotional and physical well-being. The process can be repeated or stopped at any point if judged essential. Assessment is the first step in the nursing...
01:08Role of Communication in the Nursing Process III: Evaluation and Documentation
01:29SBAR I: Understanding the Concept
Standardized methods of communication have been developed to ensure that information is...
01:30Therapeutic Communication
Verbal communication depends on language or a prescribed way of using words so that people can share information effectively. The critical aspects of verbal...
01:29Nursing Assessment
The nurse collects all aspects of the patient's health in the initial assessment, establishing priorities for ongoing focused assessments...