Medical Construction & Design

JUL-AUG 2017

Medical Construction & Design (MCD) is the industry's leading source for news and information and reaches all disciplines involved in the healthcare construction and design process.

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52 Medical Construction & Design | J U LY/AUGUST 2017 | MCDM AG.COM reporting. Organizing space to be multipurpose and adaptive inhibits individualistic and ter- ritorial behaviors and fosters collaboration and teamwork. However, don't take away private offi ces. Having a place of one's own is important to Millennials. An offi ce rein- forces the idea they are not just a cog in the wheel, but a valued member of the team worthy of real estate. Community Today's employees understand there is no fi nite line separating work from life. "Work friends" are increasingly "weekend friends" with 57 percent of Millennials saying work friends make them happy 3 . Offi ce relationships matter because they help employees feel con- nected, and thereby increase motivation and productivity. In line with designing a central hub for clinician interaction, when designing a new facility designers should include space for informal interactions. A nook in a hallway for passersby to step out of the line of traffi c and have a quick discussion; a break room that feels like a living room or an outside space to eat lunch between cases are all examples of informal spaces, which help build community. It is within these between spaces that offi ce friendships are fostered. Refl ective While Millennials often blend the line between work and life, there is a point at which the chronic stress of work is too much. Professional boundar- ies are needed to help protect clinicians from feeling over- worked and increasing rates of burnout. One solution is to provide clinicians with a com- fortable space to which they may retreat and decompress. This may be a quiet space for meditation and refl ection, such as a chapel or garden. With approximately 16-50 percent of the population identifying as introverts, these destinations for solitude are critical to help- ing staff feel recharged. Perhaps the greatest strain on the work-life balance is when clinicians are asked to make the hospital their home for 24 hours, 48 hours and longer shifts. Hospital designs should seek to minimize the tension of such a long shift by designing on-call rooms to be more reminiscent of an extend- ed stay hotel suite than of an Army barracks (the tradition in older hospitals). On-call rooms with a private full bathroom, living space with television, desk with computer, kitchen- ette and bed off er those staying for longer shifts a private space to emotionally recharge. Health This generation, like others, is sensitive to the fact that most of their waking hours are spent This garden is situated so that patients can overlook from their rooms. There is a larger-scale "Zen" pattern with grass and rocks next to a paved walking path on one side, and planters and native low-maintenance grasses and vegetation on the other side. > Below: Well-designed spaces include a variety of amenities, as well as spaces for social interaction.

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