What Needs to Change NOW in Healthcare Environments (As Told by Nurses)

Why is it that 1 out of 5 nurses quit within their first year of employment?

Could you imagine going through nursing school, pulling all-nighters, cramming for the NCLEX, then finally getting to the job you worked so hard for…. and quitting? Cornell University recently conducted a study centering on nurses’ unhappiness, with a focus on how many feel their productivity is hindered in their workplace. Here’s what they found.

Hitting at number one, most nurses feel they do not have adequate workspaces and ample room provided with their healthcare furniture. “Charting takes a lot of space!” chimed in a majority of nurses during the study. Although it may seem minor, almost every nurse mentioned this issue.

Natural lighting strikes at number two as a main design concept to support productivity and make for happy nurses. As many wish there was more natural light, they do agree that clean, natural colors on hospital room furniture, walls, and on healthcare furnishings would make a difference, too. Keep in mind, nurses work around a 12 hour shift- it’s little things like this that make them feel less tired and less depressed.

Nurses usually walk up to 10 miles a day, so it’s no surprise that the third quality was more adjustable and comfortable healthcare chairs. As many nurses share chairs with other nurses, it’s hard to find a custom level of comfort without an ergonomic chair. Nurses suggest this change will maintain health and overall performance of their staff by subtracting the aches and pains of sitting uncomfortably throughout the day.

While designing hospital furniture, the most important influence on healthcare furniture companies such as OstermanCron is undoubtedly people’s comfort. Visit our healthcare client list to see what we’re talking about. Although we do always care about the people and the patients, what healthcare furniture companies forget about are the people who are behind the scenes caregiving, the nurses.