Quiet Rooms in Hospitals are important spaces
They are the rooms that are used, as much as possible, for patient and family conversations with clinical teams.
They are the rooms were often the toughest of conversations take place, clinical staff discussing with families’ serious deterioration in health, or the need for additional important interventions as well as, tragically, conversations about palliative care.
Such conversations are not only clinical, they are hugely emotional and the need for a comforting and comfortable room (a safe haven) is essential. It helps everyone acknowledge their emotions and express fears and grief.
Such conversations are challenging too for the staff, who also appreciate the space. At times, they too feel overwhelmed and appreciate a comforting safe space for some time out to support their emotional wellbeing also.
Turning a Quiet Room into a Space to Talk
Dr Louise Evans is Consultant Clinical Psychologist in the Nephrology and Transplant Directorate at University Hospital of Wales.
In our video below, Louise talks to Siân Lloyd about the importance of having a ‘Space to Talk’ in the ward area but away from the patient’s bedside.
“Sometimes the ward area is not an appropriate to sit in and think about things. People don’t always want to get emotional in front of other people all the time. So, it is nice to be able to retreat to a different space.
It is about treating people as humans; they are not just bodies. They’ve got feelings and thoughts and families to consider. So, to go to somewhere that is comforting and containing is nice.”
The Quiet Room in Nephrology
This is as important as any others in different directorates. It had been a very gloomy, sad, and tired looking room complete with sagging chairs too and we were pleased to be able to turn it into a comfortable and comforting safe space.
Dr Helen Jeffries, Nephrology and Dialysis Consultant, at Cardiff and Vale Health Board said: “What a wonderful improvement! The refurbished quiet room is modern and thoughtfully furnished, it is now a welcoming and comfortable private space for patients and relatives to spend time and to have important conversations about their health and care with the Renal team. Thank you so much for the transformation!”
In our video below, Louise discusses the benefits of having a this kind of ‘space to talk’ away from the ward, for patients to talk in, where they can feel they are being treated as a human being and not a body.
#makingspacetotalk #emotionalhealthmatters #livingwellwithillness #daringtodream
