Output details

Maternity Unit Design part 4 : midwives' perceptions of staff facilities

Staff wellbeing is a recognized feature of workplace effectiveness. This paper presents data on staff attitudes from a multi-site study in England (9 sites) examining maternity unit design. This paper discusses the issues of staff, their facilities, and their sense of well-being in their working environment. It includes an examination of staff offices, ward layout, changing facilities, and spaces for staff respite and discusses workplace sources of stress in the interior environment.

Results revealed that poor air quality and oppressive lighting were the most commonly cited environmental sources of potential health problems. Midwives’ workstations were frequently cramped with inadequate space. This research is significant in that it was a national (UK) study which involved a large sample of 227 midwives. A rigorous methodology and methods were implemented including questionnaires relating to the midwives’ workplace; follow-up focus groups provided further qualitative insights. The large sample size and statistical analysis adds rigour to the study. The paper is published in the British Journal of Midwifery, one of the leading journals in this field and underwent a rigorous peer review process. The research is original in that it gives new understanding to the perceptions and experiences of midwives related to their workplace environment. To date studies concentrated on satisfaction with healthcare staff pay and conditions. Very few studies have examined the impact of the physical environment on the well-being, work performance and job satisfaction of healthcare staff. This study adds to the limited literature on this subject.

The research was funded by NHS Estates (now Department of Health)