Family-Centered Engagement At All Levels
The new Pediatric Emergency Department at RWJBarnabas Health, New Brunswick campus, is an integral part of the multi-phased Emergency Department Expansion and Renovation that began in 2013. DCC was tasked with designing a space that would appeal to the diverse interests and needs of RWJ’s pediatric patient population consisting of varying age groups and including those with special sensory requirements. The upgraded space features 17 large, private bays, a result’s waiting area, a three-bay behavioral health area and a ground breaking sensory (Snoezelen) treatment room, the first of its kind in the state.
Nurse stations were specially designed out of curvilinear forms that are both soft and undulating, fostering a safe environment and playful childlike essence while also offering maximum visibility to all rooms and corridors. Patient rooms can be easily identified by designated color groups forming neighborhoods, improving patient wayfinding and operational flow. In each neighborhood abstract artwork installations are integrated throughout, designed to appeal to all age groups, displaying myriad natural elements composed in bubbles.
The addition of the designated sensory treatment room will allow specially trained clinicians to care for patients with a variety of special needs in a sensory friendly environment within the clinical setting. The room was designed and developed with the key considerations of maximizing patient sensory control and family engagement, through color-changing lighting, water features and wall projections, with careful attention to infection control and maintenance essential to the emergency care environment.
