HOSPITAL

GENERALIZED FLOW CHARTS FOR THE HOSPITAL AS A WHOLE AND FOR VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS

Bedrooms
Nursing unit
Surgical suite
Nursery
Paediatric unit
Diagnostic x-ray suite
Teletherapy unit
Cobalt-60
Electroencephalographic suite
Physical therapy department
Occupational therapy department
General hospital laboratory
Labour-delivery suite
Radioisotope facility
 BEDROOMS'

• SIZE
FIRST POINT OF INTEREST IS THE CONSIDERABLE VARIATION IN ROOM SIZES . RANGES OF NET CLEAR FLOOR AREA FROM CORRIDOR
DOOR TO WINDOW STOOL, NOT INCLUDING BUILT-IN WARDROBES, ARE:
SINGLE ROOMS: 117 TO 172 SQ FT (DELUXE ARE LARGER)
DOUBLE ROOMS : 157 TO 210 SQ FT
FOUR-BED ROOMS: 306 TO 401 SQ FT
MAJOR DIFFERENCES ARE FOUND IN DEPTH OF ROOMS FROM INSIDE OF EXTERIOR WELL TO ROOM SIDE OF CORRIDOR PARTITION, ALL
THE WAY FROM
14 FT6 IN. FOR SINGLE ROOMS OR
15 FT-0 IN. FOR DOUBLE AND
FOUR-BED ROOMS TO 21 FT-6 IN.
• IN TWO AND FOUR-BED ROOMS A CLEAR DISTANCE OF 14 FT-0 IN. FOR TWO BEDS AND TWO BEDSIDE TABLES IS "SNUG,"
• BUT IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE MAJORITY OF ROOMS STUDIED MEASURE NEARER TO 15 FT-0 IN. CLEAR, WHICH IS THE USPHS
STANDARD. LAVATORY, TOILET DOOR, OR WARDROBE DOOR DO NOT ENCROACH INTO THESE CLEAR DIMENSIONS IN THE BETTER
ROOMS.
• IN THE OTHER DIMENSION, COMMENTS OF ADMINISTRATORS EVOKE NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT SINGLE ROOMS AS NARROW AS 10 FT-0
IN. TO CENTERS OF PARTITIONS-ROOMS UP TO 12 FT-0 IN.
• MAJORITY OF DOUBLE BEDROOMS ARE 12 FT-0 IN. ON CENTERS AND ARE WALL REGARDEDSMALLER ONES ARE CRITICIZED FOR
BEING TOO TIGHT . FOUR-BED ROOMS RANGE FROM ACCEPTABLE MINIMUM OF 20 FT-0 IN. ON CENTERS TO MORE THAN 24 FT-0 IN.
• CLOSETS
IN ALMOST EVERY CASE INDIVIDUAL HANGING SPACE IS PROVIDED FOR EACH PATIENT, OFTEN IN THE FORM OF BUILT-IN METAL
WARDROBES-SOMETIMES THESE ARE IN COMBINATION WITH DRESSERS, WITH MIRRORS OVER . ONE CAUTION WAS OFFERED THAT
MIRRORS SHOULD NOT BE SO PLACED AS TO REFLECT LIGHT INTO PATIENT'S EYES

• FURNITURE
• THERE IS UNIFORMITY IN EVERY PLAN REVIEWED IN THE WAY BEDS ARE SET PARALLEL TO EXTERIOR WALL, SO THAT PATIENTS CAN
LOOK OUT WINDOW WITHOUT FACING DIRECTLY INTO THE BRIGHT SKY .

• MOTOR OPERATED HIGH-LOW BEDS ARE ALSO UNIFORMLY POPULAR-IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THEY MAY BE A FULL 7 FT-3 IN . IN
OVERALL LENGTH.

• THE TYPICAL BEDSIDE TABLE MEASURES ABOUT 16 IN. X 20 IN.

• IN SINGLE ROOMS, ESPECIALLY, THE PRESENCE OF A BUREAU, SIDE CHAIR, ARM CHAIR, OTTOMAN, OR TELEVISION SAT IS PARTLY
DEPENDENT ON ECONOMIC STATUS OF PATIENT BEING SERVED. THESE ITEMS TAKE SPACE AND DESERVE ATTENTION IN THE
PLANNING STAGE-THEY MAY WELL AFFECT OVERALL ROOM SIZE.

• PLUMBING FIXTURES
• A PRIVATE TOILET IS NOW REGARDED AS A BASIC FEATURE WITH EACH BEDROOM .

• IT IS PERHAPS AXIOMATIC THAT IN ALMOST EVERY CASE A BEDPAN CLEANSING DEVICE IS INCORPORATED .

• 2 FT-10 IN. TO 3 FT-2 IN . BY 3 FT-10 IN. TO 4 FT10 IN. ARE THE DIMENSIONS NOTED FOR INDIVIDUAL TOILET ROOMS, USUALLY
WITH GRAB-BARS ON ONE OR BOTH SIDE WALLS.
• THE FACT THAT ALMOST NO SHOWER STALLS APPEAR LEADS THE COMMITTEE TO CONJECTURE THAT MOST HOSPITALS ARE CONTENT TO HAVE
SHOWER HEADS IN TUBS, RELYING ON SUCTION-CUP RUBBER MATE AND STRONG GRAB BARS TO AVOID INJURY TO PATIENTS FROM SLIPPING
• DOORS AND WINDOWS
• STANDARD BEDROOM DOOR WIDTH IS 3 FT-10 IN. OR 4 FT-0 IN. THIS CAN BE REDUCED BY 2 IN. WITH OFFSET HINGES. A SLIGHT MAJORITY OF
DOORS TO SINGLE
• LIGHTING
• IN ALMOST ALL ROOMS THERE IS A WALL FIXTURE OVER HEAD OF BED, MOUNTED FROM 5 FT-2 IN . T O 6 FT6 IN . ABOVE FLOOR .
• THERE ARE NUMEROUS FIXTURES ON THE MARKET TODAY FOR THIS PURPOSE, PROVIDING VARYING COMBINATIONS OF DIRECT AND INDIRECT
LIGHT.
• CAUTION IS TO CONTROL LIGHT IN MULTI-BED ROOMS SO THAT IT WILL NOT SHINE IN ANOTHER PATIENT'S EYES-THIS FREQUENTLY HAPPENS
ACROSS THE ROOM IN FOUR-BED ROOMS.
• ALMOST ALL ROOMS HAVE NIGHT-LIGHTS, EITHER SET IN WALL AT A LOW ELEVATION OR INCORPORATED IN OVER-BED LIGHT .
• THE ONE PREVAILING COMMENT HERE RECOMMENDS SWITCHING THE NIGHT-LIGHT OUT IN CORRIDOR OR NEAR ROOM DOOR, RATHER THAN AT
BEDSIDE .
• OTHER ELECTRICAL WORK
• THE AUDIO-VISUAL NURSE'S CALL IS ALMOST UNIVERSALLY USED.
• IN SOME CASES THE SPEAKER IS LOCATED IN CEILING OVER BED .
• ON WALLS WITH TWO BEDS THE USE OF ONE CALL FOR TWO BEDS OR PROVISION OF SEPARATE CALLS IS ABOUT AN EVEN CHOICE .
• IN A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF HOSPITALS SEVERAL RADIO CHANNELS ARE PIPED IN AT HEAD OF BED .
• IN FEWER INSTANCES THE SAME IS TRUE OF TV; MOST TV SETS ARE PORTABLE AND PROVIDED THROUGH A RENTAL AGENCY
• OXYGEN AND SUCTION
• OXYGEN IS PIPED IN FROM A CENTRAL SOURCE IN MOST ROOMS STUDIED OUTLETS ARE 4 FT-0 IN . TO 5 FT-6 IN ABOVE FLOORS-5 FT-0 IN .
• THERE IS AN EVEN DIVISION OF OPINION CONCERNING LOCATION OF OXYGEN OUTLETS, EITHER ON NEAR SIDE OF BED, AS ONE ENTERS
ROOM, OR ON FAR SIDE .
• SUCTION IS PROVIDED IN ALL ROOMS IN APPROXIMATELY ONE-THIRD OF THE HOSPITALS, IN SOME ROOMS IN ONE-THIRD, AND IN NO
ROOMS IN ONE-THIRD OUTLETS ARE EITHER GROUPED IN SAME PLATE WITH OXYGEN OR THEY ARE SEPARATE, BESIDE OR BELOW
OXYGEN PIPED COMPRESSED AIR IN BEDROOMS IS NOTED ONLY OCCASIONALLY .
• AIR CONDITIONING
• THE INCIDENCE OF AIR CONDITIONING IS STILL SOMETHING THAT DEPENDS ON CLIMATE AND ECONOMICS .
• INDIVIDUAL ROOM UNITS PRESENT NO PROBLEMS OF CROSS-CONTAMINATION OF AIR FROM ONE ROOM TO ANOTHER .
• CENTRAL SYSTEMS DO CREATE PROBLEMS IF RECIRCULATION IS DESIRED .
• A CHECK ACROSS THE COUNTRY INDICATES THAT OPINION IS DIVIDED ON EXTENT TO WHICH CENTRAL RECIRCULATION SHOULD BE
PERIMITTED.
• ORGANIZATION OF WALL OUTLETS
• IN GENERAL WALL OUTLETS DETRACT FROM APPEARANCE OF ROOM .
• A CHECKLIST FOR A WELL-EQUIPPED BED IN A SINGLE ROOM WILL INCLUDE SOME 24 DIFFERENT FACILITIES IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE THE
SCATTER EFFECT AT NORMAL EYE LEVEL, THE COMMITTEE SUGGESTS THAT HALF OF THESE FACILITIES COULD BE CONSOLIDATED IN A
LOW WALL OUTLET THROUGH A SINGLE FLEXIBLE CABLE TO BEDSIDE TABLE, WHERE MANY ITEMS WOULD BE WITHIN REACH OF
PATIENT .
• ONLY TWO ITEMS MIGHT THEN OCCUR ON WALL AT EYE-LEVEL-OXYGEN OUTLET (CODE REQUIREMENT) AND OVER-BED LIGHT (IF
USED) .
• PORTABLE BEDSIDE PANEL (PATIENT'S CONTROL) NURSING UNITS
INTEGRAL WITH BED
• " NURSES' CALL SWITCH, PILOT LIGHT, MONITOR LIGHT
• BED CONTROL (WITHIN PATIENT'S REACH,
• GENERAL ROOM ILLUMINATION SWITCH, DIMMER CONTROL BUT WITH NURSE-CONTROLLED CUT-OFF
FEATURE)
• READING LIGHT SWITCH
CEILING
• ROOM THERMOSTAT REMOTE CONTROL • NURSES' CALL MICRO-SPEAKER
• ELECTRIC BLANKET CONTROL
• RADIO SPEAKER (PRIVATE ROOMS ONLY)
HIGH ON WALL (60 IN . OR HIGHER)
• ELECTRIC CLOCK • OVER-BED LIGHT FIXTURE (DIRECT AND
• DUPLEX CONVENIENCE RECEPTACLE INDIRECT)
• OXYGEN OUTLET
• " RADIO STATION SELECTOR (CENTRAL RADIO SYSTEM) LOW ON WALL (APPROXIMATELY 24 IN .)
• " JACK FOR PILLOW SPEAKER (CEILING SPEAKER IN PRIVATE • RECEPTACLE FOR PORTABLE BEDSIDE
ROOMS) PANEL
• NIGHT LIGHT (SWITCHED FROM CORRIDOR)
• PROVISION FOR TV REMOTE CONTROL TO BE CLIPPED ONTO • TELEPHONE JACK
PANEL • DOUBLE DUPLEX RECEPTACLE (BED,
• PROVISION FOR TELEPHONE INSTRUMENT (BRACKET TYPE) OXYGEN TENT, PORTABLE X-RAY, HEATING
PAD, ETC)
• REMOTE RECORDING INSTRUMENT
RECEPTACLES (TEMP, PULSE, RESPIRATORY)
• SUCTION OUTLET
• BRACKET FOR SUCTION BOTTLE.
SURGICAL SUITE
• THE SURGICAL SUITE OF THE GENERAL HOSPITAL IS A VERY COMPLEX WORKSHOP .
• IT IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DEPARTMENTS OF ANY HOSPITAL, AND ITS
PLANNING IS COMPLICATED BY THE DIVERSITIES OF OPINION AND EXPERIENCE OF
THE MANY PERSONS INVOLVED IN POLICY DECISIONS ESSENTIAL TO DEVELOPMENT
OF A GOOD PROGRAM OF REQUIREMENTS.
• THE NUMBER AND TYPE OF OPERATING ROOMS IS THE FIRST MAJOR DECISION .
• IN THE GENERAL HOSPITAL, THE TENDENCY IS TO HAVE ALL MAJOR OPERATING
ROOMS AS NEARLY IDENTICAL AS POSSIBLE TO FACILITATE SCHEDULING OF
VARIOUS SURGICAL PROCEDURES .
• FREE FLOOR SPACE SHOULD BE 18 FT BY 20 FT, OR APPROXIMATELY 350 EQ FT .
• MANY SURGEONS AND SURGICAL SUPERVISORS RECOMMEND 20 FT BY 20 FT FREE
FLOOR SPACE .