Effects of Furniture Rearrangement on the Atmosphere of Wards in a Maximum-Security Hospital
In a study of the effects of a shortterm environmental intervention, alterations were made in furniture arrangements in ward dayrooms in a maximum-security hospital in the United Kingdom. Over two 14-day periods, group seating patterns were introduced each day, in conjunction with leisure-time resources such as cards and games, to promote improvements in the wards psychosocial atmosphere. The program was implemented through a system of behavioral contracting with ward staff. The findings suggest that the use of such simple lowcost techniques can produce modest positive changes in different kinds of ward environments.
Note:
The author acknowledges the assistance of Bill Hall and the nursing staff of Rampton Hospital, Ralph Hetherington, Dave Kennard, Mike Lee-Evans, John Hattersley, Greg Wilson, Jenny Radford, Mike Corp, Brenda Smith, and Pat Burke.
