Faye LeDoux of Ellerbe Becket’s Minneapolis office presented a poster in June at the 3rd World Congress of the Academy of Design and Health in Montreal. The International Academy for Design and Health is an inter-disciplinary network dedicated to the application of research on the interaction between culture, intellectual capital, design and health. The program for this Congress included lectures by specialists from Brazil, Italy, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada.

The poster, titled, “Design Solutions Which Address Stress in the Healthcare Setting,” highlights the importance of architecture and environment on issues directly related to the retention and recruitment of nursing staff within the hospital setting. Given the current shortage of nursing staff and the rising average age, it is clear that the problems of poorly designed space and/or work processes take a physical and emotional toll on staff. These problems must be resolved to retain the existing staff and recruit additional staff.

Click here to read the full text of the poster.