In a corrugated metal warehouse a few blocks from our Archer Road south campus are two spaces set up to mirror real patient rooms. Built by UF Health Shands Facilities teams with input from staff and external architects, the spaces helped shape the design of patient rooms in the UF Health Heart & Vascular Hospital and UF Health Neuromedicine Hospital.
The mock patient rooms are fully equipped with lighting, beds, flooring, monitors and other equipment. Faculty and staff walked through the spaces, tested the layout and provided feedback before the team finalized room plans in our new hospitals.
The priority was to craft an innovative care space for employees and help provide the ideal patient experience.
“It’s easier to see things when you’re actually in the rooms,” said Colleen Warring, the UF Health Shands Operations Planning and Analysis project manager who helped coordinate the process. “We constantly tested out ideas and physically changed the space to be sure everything made sense for the people who will be in them on a daily basis.”
Staff walked through an early version of a model patient room. They provided crucial input about the care space.
More than 100 staff members from Nursing, Operations, Infection Control, Environmental Services and other departments toured the rooms. Every aspect was scrutinized — from color palette, to light fixtures and even the location of electrical outlets — to ensure the optimal experience for patients, staff and visitors.
“Being directly involved was a priority for our team because we were able to give insight about the patient experience and what families and visitors really appreciate,” said Richard Reed, R.N., UF Health Shands Hospital Neuro ICU Unit 82 nurse manager. “We were very thoughtful in looking at features like patient and visitor flow and how staff will move in and out of rooms.”
Over time, the rooms slowly transformed as the team incorporated feedback and changed elements. The flooring is sturdy enough to endure the constant scuffle of shoes and to bear the weight of heavy, life-saving equipment, yet it looks like material found in a new home. The décor is soothing but can be easily cleaned. The couch can transform into a comfortable bed for family members.
Warring said, “So many people from different fields and unique backgrounds saw these rooms. We all came together to develop the best layout and solutions to enhance patient and family-centered care.”