Research IDs factors affecting hospital staff communication

Erin Peavey ’08, a recent Texas A&M Master of Architecture graduate, will discuss how nursing units can be designed to better facilitate staff communication, a vital component of effective hospital care, at the Nov. 13-16 Healthcare Design Conference in Nashville, Tenn.

As a student, Peavey, who currently works as a researcher and medical planner in the New York office of HOK, investigated the environmental factors affecting staff communications in healthcare facilities with the help of a 2010 American Institute of Architects Arthur N. Tuttle Jr. Graduate Fellowship in Health Facility Planning.

“Medical and clinical staff communication is a vital component of effective hospital care and has consistently been an issue of concern for hospital systems,” said Peavey.

During a hospital stay, a patient interacts with numerous employees, including physicians, nurses, technicians, and others. Many current hospital designs do little to encourage communication and collaboration although it is fundamental to patient care, safety, and staff satisfaction, said Peavey.

“The objective of my research was to identify environmental factors that affect interdisciplinary communication and provide designers with a resource to inform best-practice design for future nursing units,” said Peavey, who earned her Master of Architecture degree in 2011 and a Bachelor of Environmental Design degree at Texas A&M in 2008.