520
Detailed Needs and Requirements: General Nursing Unit
2. Patterns of Care
The ratio of patients that may appropriately be cared for on general
nursing units may decrease in the future while the percentage of
intensive care patients may increase due to increased ability to
preserve life and to conduct complex surgical procedures. The
percentage of self care or home care patients may increase as such
programs are expanded in the Veterans Administration.
3. Relation to the Community
The Veterans Administration may play an increasing role in community
health care. Therefore, there may be a demand to care for children
and increasing numbers of women on general nursing units in VA
hospitals.
4. Technology
The use of physiological monitoring equipment, computers and other
sophisticated equipment on nursing units will undoubtedly increase in
the future.
522.2
FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Patient condition, length of stay, treatment procedures and supportive
activities vary appreciably on each of the general nursing unit types:
medical, surgical, neurological and orthopedic. In order to achieve
flexibility in "floating" patients from one unit to another as bed demand
varies and interchangeability of nursing staff with a minimum of
disorientation, it is desirable to standardize, to the extent possible, the
plan arrangement and space allocations for all unit types.
522.2.1
Functional Relationships
Two general philosophies currently prevail: 1) general nursing units
should be separated from intensive care areas in order that I.C.U. `s and
specialized diagnostic and treatment units may be closely clustered to
maximize use of special equipment and technical staff, and 2) general
nursing units grouped with intensive care units of the same specialty to
allow continuity of patient care. Both options are considered to have
merit.
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