Designing humanistic critical care environments
Abstract
The critical care environment can be designed to become more humanistic. Consideration of the environmental challenges of noise, lights, color, views, temperature, and comfort is essential. This article identifies the issues and concerns in the design of more humanistic healing in critical care units. Strategies to improve the environment include improving the physical and emotional tone of the unit through creative design, family and pet visitation, sleep promotion, and aromatherapy among others. In a life-threatening illness, attention paid to these concerns may significantly improve quality of life for patients and family.
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Scents, temperature, sounds, and other sensory impressions are crucial for whether a human being feels security and confidence in the environment or discomfort and threats.
“Scents, temperature, sounds, and other sensory impressions are found to be crucial if a human being feels security and confidence in the environment, or the opposite, finds discomfort and threats (Fontaine et al., 2001; Appukuttan, 2016).”
From The Oxytocinergic System as a Mediator of Anti-stress and Instorative Effects Induced by Nature: The Calm and Connection Theory (2021) · cites this paper as Fontaine et al., 2001
Cites
Effects of relaxing music on cardiac autonomic balance and anxiety after acute myocardial infarction
White, J. (1999) · American Journal of Critical Care · doi:10.4037/ajcc1999.8.4.220 · Cited by 245 · see citing works
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Grahn, P., Ottosson, J., & Uvnäs-Moberg, K. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.617814 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
- Authors
- Fontaine, D. K., Briggs, L. P., & Pope-Smith, B.
- Affiliations
- Georgetown University (US)
- Venue
- Critical Care Nursing Quarterly
- Published
- 2001-11
- Volume
- 24
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 21-34
- ISSN
- 0887-9303 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1973128884
- Cited by
- 95
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 1.07
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Critical Care Nursing Quarterly (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Radiological and Ultrasound Technology › Family and Patient Care in Intensive Care Units
- Social Sciences › Urban Studies › Healthcare Facilities Design and Sustainability
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine › Intensive Care Unit Cognitive Disorders
- Keywords
- hospital environment, noise, lighting, color, views, temperature, patient comfort, family visits, sleep promotion, aromatherapy, emotional tone, quality of life
- MeSH terms
- Facility Design and Construction, Health Facility Environment, Humans, Humanism, Intensive Care Units
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