The Healing Environment for Healthcare Staff in Paediatric Settings: A Cross-National Semi-Structured Survey on Healthcare Staff Satisfaction

Silvia Mangili, Beatrice Pattaro, Andrea Brambilla (), Gaia Ferraguzzi, Cristiana Caira and Stefano Capolongo
Additional contact information
Silvia Mangili: Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (DABC), Design & Health Lab, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
Beatrice Pattaro: Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (DABC), Design & Health Lab, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
Andrea Brambilla: Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (DABC), Design & Health Lab, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
Gaia Ferraguzzi: Department of Biomedical Science for Health, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
Cristiana Caira: Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96 Göteborg, Sweden
Stefano Capolongo: Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (DABC), Design & Health Lab, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 9, 1-12

Abstract: Background: The existing literature emphasises that the hospital environment plays a critical role in the experiences of patients and healthcare workers. To better understand the perspectives of healthcare staff in such settings, a questionnaire-based study was conducted at two paediatric hospitals: Vittore Buzzi Hospital (Milan, Italy) and Queen Silvia Children’s Hospital (Gothenburg, Sweden). Objective: The study had two main objectives: to collect feedback from healthcare staff via a post-occupancy evaluation focused on perceived environmental quality and to compare staff perceptions across different geographical and cultural contexts. Methods: A semi-structured survey tool consisting of 42 closed-ended items (40 of which used a 5-point Likert scale) and 2 open-ended questions was employed. The items assessed the presence and quality of specific environmental and functional features. Results: The findings reveal significant contrasts between the two hospitals. Staff at the Swedish hospital reported higher satisfaction levels across most areas, whereas the Italian hospital demonstrated significant shortcomings. Common concerns in both hospitals included limited space for medical and administrative staff and the absence of private offices for doctors. Conclusions: This study confirms that environmental quality affects not only patients, but also staff, impacting their satisfaction, perceived efficiency, and emotional well-being. The contrasting outcomes highlight the significant influence that differences in architectural design, spatial layout, and investment in staff-oriented spaces can have on the day-to-day experiences of healthcare professionals.

Keywords: paediatric hospitals; healthcare settings; survey; staff satisfaction (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/9/1444/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/9/1444/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:22:y:2025:i:9:p:1444-:d:1751826

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().