In a new white paper, Carolina, a leader in healthcare furniture design, explores the hidden ways aesthetics, performance, and perception influence healthcare environments. Titled “The Hidden Cost of Ugly Furniture,” the paper provides valuable insights and data for designers, facility managers, and healthcare leaders looking to make strategic, evidence-based furniture decisions that enhance both patient experiences and operational outcomes.

Networking may feel foreign to many nurses, as it's rarely taught in nursing school, but it's becoming essential as the profession expands into roles like healthcare design, entrepreneurship, and leadership. As nurses push boundaries and transform healthcare, building strong networks ensures our voices are heard and our impact is amplified.

As healthcare spaces become more digitized, nurses in planning and design must balance patient needs, clinician workflows, and evolving technology. But digital tools aren’t experienced equally—what empowers a millennial may overwhelm an 85-year-old patient. From smart rooms to self-check-in apps, nurse designers have a critical role in making sure healthcare technology works for everyone, not just the tech-savvy. This blog explores how multigenerational design, inclusive testing, and human-centered support can create healing environments that are not only modern—but humane.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is gradually eliminating the Inpatient Only (IPO) List over the next three years. This change will allow more surgeries to be performed at ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) instead of requiring hospital stays. As a result, patients may experience lower costs and more convenient access to care. What do you see as some of the biggest design and operational challenges with this change?