Analysis of Staff Behavior in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

This study provides data on behavior associated with the redesign of a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The unit was designed to reduce the amount of time staff spent walking, so they could focus on activities supporting infants and their families. Access to natural light and windows were also provided in response to research indicating that exposure to natural light and views impacts health outcomes. Staff behavior was examined utilizing predesign research (PDR) and post-occupancy evaluation (POE) techniques. Researchers gathered 124 hours of predesign and postconstruction behavioral mapping data, distributed questionnaires and conducted interviews. The hypothesis that walking would be reduced in the new design was not supported, although when the data were weighted to reflect the impact of the size of the large unit, the ratio of time spent walking to total unit area was found to be less in the open plan. Trends in the data supported the hypothesis that staff in the remodeled unit would spend more time with infants and Mardelle Shepley, Ph.D.