---What do you like/dislike about your current workplace environment and the areas you work in most?

I like that my unit is quiet with 100% private rooms, but I dislike the fact that we have no toilets in the patients rooms except the ones in the two isolation rooms! We have the soiled utility so far away from the patient care area that we have to roll those portable toilets so far to empty them and we have to carry bedpans in midair to the soiled utility carrying the odor as we go. There isn't a water fountain on the unit for family or visitors to refill those cups for their sick loved ones. There are no ice pitchers provided to patients. The patient nourishments are located at the entrance of the unit. The staff washroom paper towel dispenser is over the garbage recepticle rather than near the soap dispenser. .

---If there is anything you could change about the furniture (desks/chairs/tables/other equipment) what would it be? I have a water fountain placed on the unit. I would move the papertowels from over the garbage. I'd have the soiled utility near the patient care area and would have the place remodeled to accomodate a washroom. I ALSO would opt for computer monitors or screens that are mobile in the sense that the screen can be adjusted off the table in order to make more space.

---Has your patients ever commented/complained about the environment/furniture in the patient room? (If so, what did they say?)
They can't believe that there are no washrooms in the patient rooms!!!

---How could your work enjoyment improve based on changes in the furniture and equipment (look/functionality)? I think having moving screens or adjusting screens would allow the space to look neater because nurses could clear the clutter from the chairs we use place patient charts on as we do multiple chart checks.

---Who do you usually go to to talk about technical problems with equipment? There's IT who is inhouse to deal with the network issues that deal with ordering and logging on to the network, but for the heart monitors, we have to call the Draeger Representative to fix problems related to the heart monitors displaying properly.

Who do you talk to in regards to furniture purchasing? The manager

---Where do you go for industry news? (names of nursing magazines or websites you go to)[/list] Medscape, MD Consult, Mayo Clinic, HealthNet, Nursetogether.com


Any other comments on healthcare facility environment and furniture?
I would definitely ask the nurses who will be working in the area for suggestions on furniture or equiptment since nurses are the people who will have to use it.



Thanks so much in advance! If you can answer even a couple of those questions it will help me out so much! YOU'RE WELCOME!!