Applying Human Factors Methods to Improve Workflow Safety in Transitioning to a New Special Care Nursery Unit

The physical healthcare environment plays a pivotal role in shaping work processes, including workflow, equipment usage, human resources management, patient experience, and the ability of healthcare workers to provide safe care. Transitioning to a new space provides an opportunity to proactively identify and enhance safety measures for critical tasks and workflows. This paper presents a collaborative project between the Healthcare Insurance Reciprocal of Canada (HIROC) and Guelph General Hospital (GGH), aimed at improving workflow and workspace in GGH’s Special Care Nursery Unit (SCN) during its transition to a new space. The project was executed in two phases. Phase 1 involved contextual inquiry and observations over three days in the existing unit, which informed simulation scenarios of critical workflows and tasks. Phase 2 comprised simulation walkthroughs with 14 nurses in the new unit, conducted individually or in groups of up to four, to gather feedback. The data collected were used to identify opportunities to build resilience in the SCN, including considerations for improving communication and situation awareness. Survey results also indicated that participants found the simulations helpful for identifying areas to improve safety in the SCN.