Workspace Layouts and Their Effects on Healthcare Staff Communication in Neonatal Intensive Care Units

Background Modern Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) increasingly adopt single-family room (SFR) layouts with decentralized workspaces. While these designs support patient privacy and family-centered care, they can isolate staff and reduce opportunities for team communication. Objectives This study examined a hybrid neighborhood layout combining decentralized nurse stations (DNSs) and centralized Huddle Stations within each neighborhood, focusing on their effects on staff communication. Methods We conducted onsite observations and shadowed 60 staff members, collecting 2,564 behavioral data points. Statistical analyses explored staff activities by role, communication type and mode, and location, with a focus on face-to-face interactions in various work areas. In addition, we conducted Space Syntax and targeted visual connectivity analyses between Huddle Stations, DNSs, patient rooms, and patient beds, and interpreted the findings alongside behavioral data. Results Communication patterns differed by staff role and location. Huddle Stations served as communication hubs for non-physician staff members, supporting distinct communication types compared to DNSs and workrooms. Despite similar physical layouts, neighborhoods varied in mutual visibility between workstations and patient rooms. These differences suggest that staff may experience varying opportunities of social interaction based on patient room assignments. Conclusions Huddle Stations anchor social interactions, and a neighborhood design that incorporates both DNSs and Huddle Stations can support staff communication in SFR-NICUs. Achieving equitable visual connectivity while accommodating role-based task patterns requires both spatial analysis and real-world observations when planning and designing future NICU environments.