520
Detailed Needs and Requirements: General Nursing Unit
522
GENERAL NURSING UNIT
522.1
User Needs
General nursing units, including medical, surgical, orthopedic and
neurological units, serve the largest number of patients in the hospital.
Each of these units has certain special requirements; however, their basic
needs are similar.
522.1.1
Objectives
General nursing units have the common aim of stabilizing the patient's
condition to prevent further disability and restoring his physical functions
and ability to care for himself.
522.1.2
Operational Relationships
The relationship between general nursing units and other functional units
may be defined in part in terms of movement systems. Movement
patterns, particularly with respect to material movement vary considerably
with different operational patterns, physical facilities and transport
systems.
Generally the factors affecting relationships include the following:
frequency of movement, urgency of movement (as in a patient's critical life
state) and condition of movement (patient on stretcher or linen on a large
cart).
Table 520-1 on the following page indicates, in general, the relationships
affecting the general nursing unit. Relationships with high frequency
urgent need or a controlling condition of movement are indicated. In
addition Figure 520-1 depicts the volume of nursing staff traffic between
various of the nursing unit.
522.1.3
Characteristics
1. Environment
The general nursing unit consists of the following environmental zones.
a. Patient room. This area must accommodate a wide range of
medical and social activities including: many diagnostic and
treatment procedures, sleeping at any time of the day or night,
eating, talking, to visitors, other patients, or the physician, listening
to the radio, watching television, etc.
2 - 46
Previous Page
