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Physical Environment as a Tool in Caring for the Hospitalized Patient: A Qualitative Study of Nurses’ Experiences in Hospitals

Objectives: To explore how nurses experience the physical environment when caring for hospitalized patients. Background: The physical environment as part of nursing is already an embedded understanding in the earliest nursing theory. In today’s hospitals, the impact of the physical environment is important for both patients and nurses. Patients’ well-being is linked to the physical environment, which can produce both negative and positive emotions. Nurses’ work environment is affected by the physical one, which affects practice, communication, and teamwork. Methods: This study used a qualitative design to explore nurses’ experiences of the physical environment in nursing. The study complied with the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ). Individual interviews were conducted with nine nurses working in somatic hospital units. Data collection, analysis, and interpretation consisted of individual semi-structured interviews and meaning condensation as described by Kvale and Brinkmann. Results: Three themes were identified: (1) providing a place to belong, (2) offering a protective sensory shield, and (3) balancing clinical needs with the patients’ personal needs. Conclusions: Involvement of the physical environment in nursing provides an opportunity for nurses to offer the hospitalized patient a place to belong. However, the physical environment is important for nurses to maintain accessibility with, and visualization of the patient. It is a careful balancing act carried out in practice without further verbalization in nursing.