As UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital continues to grow to meet the needs of our youngest patients, a core focus lies in improving clinical spaces to deliver even more effective pediatric care. Renovations on two medical/surgical units — Unit 44 and Unit 45 — have the aim to do just that.
Currently, there are a mix of private and semi-private patient rooms on these units. Once the current renovations are completed, all patient rooms will be private, creating a larger space for families to congregate and for care teams to comfortably fit in rooms. Private rooms mean more space for a nurse, social worker and case manager to round at the bedside together, allowing for more accurate communication between the care team and patient family.
“This renovation will provide our patients and families with more control over their environment as well as facilitate family involvement in patient care,” said Nicole Copenhaver, M.S.N., RNC-NIC, nurse manager on Unit 44.
For care teams, updating their work rooms from small, enclosed spaces to more revealing central areas is the goal. Alcoves will be created where staff can work and complete charting as well as open central areas where care teams can collaborate. The differing spaces will hopefully foster more efficient huddles and trust between one another as they deliver the best possible care to our pediatric patients, said Shelley Collins, M.D., FAAP, professor and associate chair of pediatrics at the UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital and associate chief medical officer at UF Health.
“When you see people, you’re much more likely to communicate with them, right? So, if I see my colleague who is a bedside nurse, as I’m thinking about a patient, I’m much more likely to communicate with my colleague about that patient,” Collins explained.
Additionally, the teams also want to ensure functional storage for a patient’s items are put in place as well as adequate space for staff supplies. The renovations are expected to be completed in 2025.
