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8 each room in the new Critical Care Unit has a built-in nurse server that is stocked with supplies that clinicians can easily access. The server is accessible both in and outside the patient's room, which allows for it to be restocked in the corridor. This helps mitigate noise and maintains patient and family privacy. be directly on hand," explains Bahnuk. "Materials management staff fills the server on the corridor side and a nurse or doctor can open up the door from the inside of the room and have access to it," she says. "This helps with noise and helps maintain privacy because additional staff doesn't have to come in the room and disturb the patient and family, because they can just stock the materials from the corridor." The unit has wide, open corridors that provide plenty of space for staff to move equipment and technology from room to room. The unit's designers also added plenty of storage to keep the floor uncluttered and open. One of the first things visitors may notice when they step off the elevator is the abundance of natural light. Sun streams through large windows in patient rooms and skylights over the nurses' station, helping to bring the outside in to what can be a stressful environment for patients and their families. This infusion of natural light is an important part of the new unit, which was designed and constructed with the patient and family in mind with each design decision. This natural light is not only beautiful—it serves a therapeutic purpose as well. "Natural light helps with the patient's ability to maintain their sleep/wake cycle, which is extremely important to staying oriented," says Samir patel, MD, Critical Care Medicine at South Shore Hospital. PATienT And FAmily-CenTered CAre Every decision about each detail in the new South Shore Hospital CCU was made with the patient and family's needs at its center. Each state-of-the-art patient room averages 300 square feet in size, allowing families to stay in the room when physicians or nurses come in, and also making space for technology that now often plays an important role in a patient's care. "There's so much more technology now by the patient's bedside that it's important to have enough space for both the equipment and the patient's family," says Dr. patel. "It's important that patients feel comfortable in the space so we can provide patient and family-centered care, and families can become involved in their loved one's progression of care." Each room is outfitted with a pull-out couch, encouraging family to stay with their loved ones. Families also have a dedicated bathroom with a shower in order to encourage family involvement in patient care and to make families feel welcome. The unit also has a designated private space for families to have sensitive conversations with physicians and nurses. The unit is painted in soothing colors that evoke the beach and the ocean—drawing connections to the natural beauty of the South Shore. Designers placed artwork in every patient room and in addition to the patient's vital signs being automatically integrated into their patient record, caregivers also have a birds-eye view of the patient when they are documenting clinical data. outside of every patient room is a computer bay that allows for direct view of the patient, so caregivers can assess their condition even while they are documenting. h&h.Winter (Dec) 2017.indd 8 12/27/17 2:01 PM