Robert wood johnson hospital Nursing Unit

Scope: Updated Nursing Unit

Client: Robert Wood Johnson Rahway

Location: Rahway, New Jersey

RWJ Rahway is in the process of upgrading aged nursing units. The existing patient care spaces are outdated and relatively unchanged since they were designed and constructed in the early 1980’s.  PDS worked closely with nursing, clinical staff, ITS staff and administration in critically assessing their patient care processes.  Evaluation of work flow, traffic patterns, ITS solutions, charting processes was performed with an eye on breaking down barriers and opening the nursing unit up, freeing space for family members and dissolving the compartmentalization that was associated with the 1980’s planning.  

The result of the design studies was a unit that breaks down barriers, embraces mobile computing technologies and provides a flexible and adaptive healthcare environment capable of supporting the hospital for a target duration of 25 years or more. Touchdown spaces, mobile charting positions and soft forms were used to support the spatial experience desired.  Elimination of previous planning inefficiencies captured wasted space sufficient to create a “Family Lounge” centered in the heart of the unit.  All materials, surfaces, lighting and other elements of the built environment were carefully selected to support function and budget.