The design of a psychiatric unit is about more than safety, according to an article on the Behavioral Healthcare Executive website.
What message is sent to the staff and the patients when the staff sit at a central nurse station, with clear visibility towards every corner of the unit; when that nurse station is designed with high counters or even glass enclosure to “protect the staff?"
What message is sent when patients must ask permission to gain access to a bathroom or to get a game to play?
How often is this considered in the design of these spaces? Based on many new facilities, not nearly often enough, the article said.
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