The Role of Space in Patients' Experience of an Emergency Department: A Qualitative Study

The study indicates that paying attention to the role of space yields a nuanced understanding of ED patients' experiences. The challenge for hospital designers and staff lies in taking into account patients' altered sensory awareness and in designing interventions that support staff in emphasizing a human approach without counteracting the medical-technical aspect of emergency care.Contribution to Emergency Nursing Practice
- Raising awareness regarding patients' altered experience of the (built) environment when being admitted to the emergency department.
- Providing an improved understanding of how adaptations to the built environment affect patients and can improve their experience, thus impacting on the functioning of the department.
- Better preparing nurses for the role of design team members they are increasingly expected to play.