Recent research into healthcare architecture has emphasized the design of patient areas in hospitals. There is a minimum of three staff members to every one patient in a hospital organization, and patient well-being depends to a large extent on the capability and efficiency of staff. Patients are in the hospital for a limited period, whereas hospital staff has to deal with an unending, continuous cycle of patient care. The hospital is, in the end, a business entity that needs to use its most valuable resource its staff—in the most efficient and productive way possible.
In the current climate, with shortages of skilled clinical staff and high patient expectations, this becomes even more critical. The success of the merger between Women's College Hospital and Pottstown Hospital and the respect permeating the organization indicate that these two hospitals structures and cultures are compatible. Although they may not always agree on how best to approach every situation, there exists a direct link between functionality and form which helps to resolve any conflict between the two environments: the hospital as a patient care area, and the hospital as a workplace for its clinical staff. I have identified four key ideas that should be understood and explored in the creation of an appropriate workplace for health professionals in this new administration: Patients Management Staff performance•LeadershipThe changing interests and concerns of patients demand that healthcare be delivered in integrated care patterns spreading across several clinical disciplines. (McShane, et. al. 2005).
Any look into the future of healthcare points clearly toward an integrated approach to the dispensing of health services, from hospital care to health and community agencies. Future care will be considered from a whole systems approach with appropriate inter-agency collaboration to ensure seamless care. The new workplace should allow for project-based ...