Nurses' work experiences in hospital wards with single rooms: An integrative review

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
File version

Version of Record (VoR)

Author(s)
Sondergaard, Susanne Friis
Rasmussen, Bodil
Kerr, Debra
Frederiksen, Kirsten
Redley, Bernice
Trueman, Melody
Kolbaek, Raymond
Laursen, Henrik Sehested
Bloomer, Melissa J
Griffith University Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Other Supervisors
Editor(s)
Date
2023
Size
File type(s)
Location
Abstract

Aim and objective: To evaluate evidence that examined nurses' work experiences in hospital wards with single rooms. The research question was ‘What does the research tell us about nurses’ work experiences in hospital wards with single rooms?’ Background: In the last decades, new hospital builds have moved towards including a high proportion of single rooms. Yet, single rooms create ‘complex environments’ that impact the nurses. Design: A structured integrative review was undertaken of empirical evidence. Methods: Original, peer-reviewed articles, written in English, were sourced from four databases: CINAHL, PubMed, Embase and Web of Science. The initial searches were performed in April 2021 and repeated in December 2022. Quality appraisal was undertaken using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. A narrative synthesis approach was used to analyse the data. Reporting was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Results: Twelve studies, published between 2006 and 2022, with an international origin, and representing n = 826 nurses, were included in this review. The synthesis revealed mixed perspectives about nurses' work experiences in wards with single rooms. Whilst single rooms are ‘all good in theory (and) a good idea’, the reality was quite different. Synthesised findings are presented in four categories: (i) aesthetics and the physical space, (ii) privacy vs. isolation, (iii) safety, which includes situational awareness and (iv) communication and collaboration. Conclusion: This review describes how single rooms affects nurses' work experience. Whilst nurses shared multiple concerns about single rooms and the challenges they also acknowledged patient preference for the privacy and space afforded by single rooms. Relevance to Clinical Practice: Findings from this review highlight the need for careful planning to maintain and strengthen teamwork, prevent nurses' sense of working in isolation, as well as creating opportunities for mentorship, and collaboration among nurses when working in single-room settings.

Journal Title

Journal of Clinical Nursing

Conference Title
Book Title
Edition
Volume
Issue
Thesis Type
Degree Program
School
Publisher link
Patent number
Funder(s)
Grant identifier(s)
Rights Statement
Rights Statement

© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Clinical Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.

Item Access Status
Note

This publication has been entered in Griffith Research Online as an advanced online version.

Access the data
Related item(s)
Subject

Health services and systems

Nursing

Science & Technology

Life Sciences & Biomedicine

collaboration

hospitals

Persistent link to this record
Citation

Sondergaard, SF; Rasmussen, B; Kerr, D; Frederiksen, K; Redley, B; Trueman, M; Kolbaek, R; Laursen, HS; Bloomer, MJ, Nurses' work experiences in hospital wards with single rooms: An integrative review, Journal of Clinical Nursing, 2023

Collections