Finding evidence to support facility design decisions.

Nearly $200 billion of healthcare construction is expected by the year 2015, and nurse leaders must expand their knowledge and capabilities in healthcare design. The goal of this bimonthly department is to prepare the nurse leader in using the evidence-based design process to ensure that new, expanded, and renovated hospitals facilitate optimal patient outcomes, enhance the work environment for healthcare providers, and improve organizational performance. In this article, the author provides nurse leaders with examples of where to find data to guide decisions about the efficacy of specific design features in achieving desired outcomes.