A room of one's own - Being cared for in a hospital with a single-bed room design
Sammanfattning
Aim: To illuminate patients’ experiences of being hospitalised
in a hospital with a single-bed room design.
Introduction: Many patients seem to prefer single-bed hospital
rooms. However, studies have also shown that
patients do see the advantages of multiple-bed rooms.
Method: Interviews were conducted with 16 inpatients
from a surgical ward in a hospital building with a singlebed
room design. A hermeneutical–phenomenological
approach guided by van Manen0s four life-world existentials
was used to analyse the interviews.
Results: The essential meaning was that patients felt
secure because they could create a personal environment
without disruptive elements. The room was private, and
this implied feelings of homeliness, which allowed
patients to focus on themselves and was thought to facilitate
the recovery process. The patients preferred staying
in their room, and the relationship with the personnel
was central. Feelings of loneliness and isolation could
occur and could be frightening. Being hospitalised in a
single-bed room meant balancing between feeling secure
and feeling insecure. The following four themes emerged:
A homely environment, The need for company and security,
Time as unpredictable and involving waiting and Focus on
healing the body.
Conclusion: Patients experienced that a single-bed room
allowed them to focus on their recovery, have visitors
without disturbing others and create a feeling of homeliness.
However, mobilisation is not a natural part of the
recovery process when patients have all they need in
their rooms. The patients’ need for social interaction and
confirmation was not satisfied without effort and planning
on the part of staff. Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons.