One of the more controversial factors in planning the configuration of the ideal patient room is the location of the toilet room. You prefer:

51% – Inboard toilet room concept places the toilet room at the room entry and next to the corridor as in a typical hotel room
25% – Outboard toilet room locates the toilet room along the exterior wall
24% – Nested toilet room locates two toilet rooms between every two patient rooms, resulting in one inboard and one outboard toilet room

Check out a

recent article on this topic by Camie Maze, AIA, LEED AP.

COMMENTS

–Allow as much view and daylight from the exterior as possible/ Nurse at the bedside and not from the corridor

-Inboard toilet location is done properly does not reduce the visibility of the patient by the staff but does increase the privacy of the patient from the public traversing the corridor.

-Depends on Acuity level and need for patient visibility from corridor as well as other factors..

-Being both a patient for four extended periods and a visitor for many sick friends, I don”t like the first option, for semi privacy provided by a toilet room mass, (I”d like the option of full view or partial view by curtain to the corridor),nor the third for excision of the exterior view, I would prefer a semi nesting option, there must be limitless iterations to study that option

-I prefer inboard toilet rooms for non-critical care patients, as this configuration provides the best relationship between the patient and family space, and the best views to the exterior.

-Outboard toilet rooms give nurses better viewing of patient and thus does not limit viewability.

-In a general M/S unit/PCU It helps to provide patient privacy, provides a buffer from corridor noise, allows less intrusive access for housekeedping, and provides space for equipment access into the room/patient care zone. In an ICU, opposite criteria apply

-Buffers noise from corridor, entry near patient bed and opens up more window area.

-Better opportunity for glazing and views, better access when transporting patients

-Nested toilets allow the patient a full unrestricted view to the outdoors, keeps the families close by while not confining them to an alcove and does create the sharp barrier and cave-like feel of an inboard toilet.

-Presrves long term flexibility for the use of this space