Four Elements To Optimal Healing Environments In Health Care

D1. Best Practices

There are four elements to optimal healing environments in healthcare. They include internal, interpersonal, behavioral and external environments. Internal environments are a big part of overall optimal healing. This environment empowers every staff, patient and family to self-motivate for wholeness, wellbeing and healing. Interpersonal environments encourage patients and families to be involved in decisions and care as a team oriented system. Behavioral environments encourage healthy lifestyle choices. Dieticians will assist in offering great nourishing practices to advance healthy eating practices. External environments are often overlooked in the healing aspect. These types of environments may be architectural buildings,

In my facility the internal and external environments play a big part in the overall wellbeing of not only our patients and staff, but our community. This facility was remodeled leaving the 19th century architectural designs. This facility is located on over 100 acres of beauty, nature and stunning view of the Ohio River. This campus is available for the community to utilize. There are paved roads and sidewalks accessible to nature and walking trails optimizing health lifestyles choices. The patients are also able to access the outside and the luxurious views within the walls of the building through glass corridors and skylights. Healthy lifestyle habits are a part of the daily teaching and restoration at this facility. Behavioral modification and cognitive therapy are a small portion of the treatment and therapy offered at this facility. Unlike major hospitals and treatment centers, MSH seems to lack in interpersonal and internal environments. Although this facility does offer insurance and incentives for healthy lifestyles choices, these incentives are not used as much as I have seen in other facilities. Since this is a state ran facility, interpersonal environments are what we struggle with majority of the time. Majority of the decisions come from up state in Indianapolis. Nursing, medical and administrative areas all seem to be divided. There seems to be miscommunication on a daily basis and it is the patients who seem to be affected by this. This facility would greatly benefit and overcome some of the hindrances if they developed the practices and joint team approach such as the hospitals mentioned earlier. This hospital is not a broken system, but in order to fully achieve optimal patient centered care as a whole, they would need to incorporate more team work, healing relationships focusing on overall wellness and recovery in order to better the patients and