Lighting Affects Hospital Workers’ Well-Being

The well-being and productivity of hospital workers in intensive care units may be enhanced if the indoor environment was better, including more natural light and less ambient noise.

That’s according to a study by Japanese researchers conducted in the ICUs and high-care units of a university hospital in Tokyo. Their findings were published in the journal Intensive and Critical Care Nursing.

“Environmental factors such as noise, lighting, temperature and air quality can significantly influence healthcare workers’ cognitive functioning, physical comfort and job satisfaction,” the authors wrote. “Understanding the ICU environment from a healthcare worker perspective is therefore essential—not only to support staff well-being and performance, but also to maintain high standards of patient care.”

From July to September 2023, the researchers measured the units’ temperature, humidity, air quality, illuminance and noise. In addition, healthcare workers completed questionnaires evaluating their satisfaction with each of those environmental parameters, as well as how they felt about their productivity as measured by their ability to concentrate on tasks and communicate with co-workers.

The researchers then analyzed the associations between satisfaction with each of the environmental parameters and the workers’ overall environmental satisfaction and productivity.

The two factors that had the most effect on overall satisfaction with the environment was lighting and noise, according to the study. Dissatisfaction with lighting stemmed mainly from insufficient daylight in windowless rooms, and in the open-space area, light from windows being obstructed by structural columns. Lighting satisfaction was also positively associated with perceived concentration.

For future ICU designs, the researchers recommend that column spans either align with room dimensions or be longer, so they don’t disrupt natural light as much. They also recommended that all ICU patient rooms and dedicated staff break rooms have windows.

“Enhanced daylight exposure can support circadian rhythm regulation and improve work performance, particularly for visually demanding tasks such as patient examination and procedures,” the authors wrote. “Incorporating natural daylight as a passive design strategy, while supplementing it with local lighting systems as an active design approach, may be an effective way to improve the lighting environment.”

Acoustic dissatisfaction was highest, mainly due to medical equipment noise. The researchers recommend that hospitals install sound-absorbing acoustic ceiling tiles or panels, treat hard reflective surfaces to lessen sound reverberation, and isolate or relocate noisy devices. Hospitals should also provide separate quiet rooms and respite spaces to mitigate cumulative noise exposure and promote staff well-being.