The nurses station is one of the most crucial areas of a hospital. It is the centralized hub where caregiver interaction takes place, patient charts are stored and nurses can get a significant amount of work done.

Because of their many uses, nurses stations can often become congested, noisy and disorganized. This can severely cut back on efficiency and make the jobs of nurses more stressful. While designers and architects are researching new ways to build more efficient spaces for nurses, those who operate in an older building must make the most of the space they have.

Here are a few ways that you can make the most out of your nurses station.

Define Spaces

In the chaotic, fast-moving hospital environment, defined spaces are a must. With so much going on at once, it can be easy for nurses to become distracted when trying to focus on essential tasks.

To encourage focus, break up your nursing station into specified areas. These spaces can be designated for specific jobs or uses such as:

• Preparing medications

• Updating patient charts/notes

• Interacting with patients, guests and physicians

• Storage

Having a single isolated space is also helpful for when nurses need a place to focus (or even spend a moment in peace and quiet).

If Possible, Leave Room for Traffic

Studies have revealed that hospital workers often use nurse stations as pathways to cut down on distance they travel between patient rooms, storage closets and other key areas of a hospital ward. Not all nurses stations are large enough to accommodate for this, but it helps for those who can spare the room. Leaving a designated pathway for caregivers to pass through your station will cut down on travel times and avoid disturbances to other workers.

Organize and Display Responsibilities

When things become chaotic, the nurses station can often fall into disarray. Charts can be misplaced, items lost and things can generally become a bit messy. If everyone is busy, and no one is assigned a particular task, things are often left undone. This is why organizing tasks is so important. Placing hospital whiteboards in the nurses station is a great way for caregivers to communicate with one another and dictate/delegate tasks that need to be completed. They take up very little space, are easy to write on and clean and, most importantly, nurses love to use them.

Try One Today

The right whiteboard can do more than help keep nurses stations organized. They also encourage communication between nurses and their patients, increasing patient comfort and satisfaction with their care. See the difference the right whiteboard can make. Request a free sample from VividBoard today.