Department Of Veterans Affairs
VA Space Planning Criteria (Chapter 102)
Washington, D.C. 20402
December 2006
1
PURPOSE AND SCOPE
A. This document outlines space planning criteria for Chapter 102: Intensive Care Nursing
Units. It applies to all medical facilities at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
B. An Intensive/Critical Care Unit (ICU) is specially equipped with trained personnel and
facility inpatient accommodations to care for patients too acutely ill to be placed in a
conventional nursing unit (i.e., unstable vital signs, arrhythmias, fluid and electrolyte
imbalance, and respiratory failure). Intensive Care Units can be classified as follows:
1.
General Intensive Care Nursing Unit
2.
Medical Intensive Care Nursing Unit
3.
Surgical Intensive Care Nursing Unit
4.
Coronary Intensive Care Nursing Unit
C. Refer to the following chapters for additional programming data:
1.
Chapter 410 Lockers, Lounges, Toilets and Showers
2.
Chapter 402 Educational Facilities
3.
Chapter 274 Quarters, On Call
4.
Chapter 100 MS&N Patient Care Units
2
DEFINITIONS
A. Concept of Operations: A user-developed guide to the functional operation of the VA
healthcare facility. It defines the function of the facility and the scope of medical services
to be provided in the new or remodeled space.
B. CICU: An acronym for Coronary Intensive Care Unit
C. Full-Time Equivalent (FTE): A staffing parameter equal to the amount of time assigned
to one full time employee. It may be composed of several part-time employees whose
total time commitment equals that of a full-time employee. One FTE equals a 40 hours
per week.
D. Functional Area: The grouping of rooms and spaces based on their function within a
clinical or clinical support service. Typical Functional Areas are Reception Areas, Patient
Areas, Support Areas, Staff and Administrative Areas, and Residency Program.
E. Input Data Statements: A set of questions designed to elicit information about the
healthcare project in order to create a Program for Design (PFD) based on the criteria
parameters set forth in this document. Input Data Statements could be Mission related,
based in the project's Concept of Operations; and Workload or Staffing related, based
on projections and data provided by the VHA or the VISN about the estimated model of
operation for the facility. This information is processed through mathematical and logical
operations in VA-SEPS.
F. Net-to-department-gross (NTDG): A parameter, determined by the VA for each Space
Planning Criteria Chapter, used to convert the programmed Net Square Foot (NSF) area
Intensive Care Nursing Units (Chapter 102): Page 102-2 of 13
Previous Page
