Quote:
Originally Posted by Jmac
Hospital standards make everything infinitely more complicated. CSA Z317 spans dozens of books and references dozens more. Building code is a drop in the bucket.
So let's say you want to take an area that is currently used for non-clinical use and use it for patient rooms. First, you need services there (medical gases, nurse call systems, etc.) that probably aren't there. Those need to be installed to building code plus their applicable CSA standards. Do you have the required spaces for patient care in the area like clean and soiled utility rooms? Clean and soiled linen rooms? Clean supply rooms? Nursing stations?
Then there's the HVAC requirements, which are typically significantly more for patient care areas than they are for non-clinical spaces. Now you need double-to-triple the airflow and additional filtration. Can the air handling unit provide additional airflow while simultaneously overcoming additional levels of filtration? Can the air handling unit's filtration system even be upgraded? Can the air handling unit handle higher levels of outside air and maintain heating/cooling on peak days without freezing up/losing control? Can the secondary heating/cooling sources downstream (e.g. reheat coils, radiant panels, radiators, etc.) handle the additional airflow? Pressure relationships are likely to require significant adjustments. Is the duct work sized to handle the new requirements? Then you may have equipment that can't be used in patient care areas that is acceptable in non-clinical areas like fan coil units that may be relied on for heating/cooling under normal circumstances, so how do you heat/cool the space now?
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y'all need to read and understand this comment. it's huge insight into what happens before anything can be up to code AND standards. all of the above was done at my hospital to convert just a handful of rooms in the ICU into negative pressure rooms in order to deal specifically with covid cases. that alone probably cost a ton of money and was done as quickly and efficiently as possible.
having licensed, professional healthcare workers who are ready to work and don't require further training is a very scarce resource. even if it's remotely possible to relocate them, they also have to be willing to do so. the previous comment someone made about people leaving busy wards for less stressful ones is also an issue. luckily, from what i've witnessed the nurses are probably the most united group of workers i've ever seen. they bend over backwards to help each other out, stand up for each other, as well as provide all sorts of care and services that the doctors simply don't have time for. doctors have the utmost respect for them for good reason.
on another note, from the hospitals i've worked at, there's no such thing as an unused wing. it's not like the movies where some random part of the hospital is abandoned and no longer in use. this is exactly why other areas were converted into covid treatment spots; there is no "spare" space. hell, even our meeting rooms have been taken over to give housekeeping a full change room. there were also contingency plans around the lower mainland (ie bc place as a field hospital) if necessary. luckily, we did well during the first wave and it wasn't necessary. hopefully we don't need to go down that road.
personally, my department was renovated about 2-3 years ago? that was a shit show. could provide some details if anyone's interested.