As healthcare organizations grapple with unprecedented levels of burnout, staffing instability, and workplace violence, our Gresham Smith team has observed the urgent need for the built environment to evolve in ways that better support care providers. The 2025 NSI National Health Care Retention & RN Staffing Report underscores the magnitude of this crisis, revealing a national registered nurse turnover rate averaging 16.4%, with some organizations experiencing rates as high as 36.4%. These challenges are especially pronounced in oncology, where long-term patient relationships and emotionally complex care intensify the daily demands on clinical teams.
In designing Tennessee Oncology’s $120 million, 310,000-square-foot facility, bringing together specialty clinics, infusion therapy, imaging, labs, pharmacy, and clinical research, we kept these challenges at the forefront. What sets this center apart is its intentional focus on the well-being and safety of both patients and staff. For our team, it became a strategic blueprint showcasing how thoughtful, integrated design can strengthen workforce stability, boost operational efficiency, and elevate the overall care experience.
Prioritizing Patient Comfort and Staff Safety
From the earliest planning stages, we focused on reducing stress through smarter access. Multiple patient entry points, including street-level doors, a covered porte cochere with valet service, and garage-connected elevators, offer options that minimize walking and physical discomfort for patients undergoing treatment. Staff benefit from dedicated entry points through private garage levels and separate back of house corridors, creating a protected and private arrival and departure experience. This separation from public circulation offers a critical mental buffer before and after emotionally demanding shifts.
Recognizing that safety is foundational to well-being, we embedded protective measures throughout the facility. Security personnel are stationed at key entry points, supported by campuswide camera coverage that dedicated staff monitor in real time for enhanced oversight. Registration areas include panic buttons and access control systems designed to ensure help can be summoned instantly if needed. Entry-resistant glass, strategically located safe rooms, and secure “touchdown” stations near waiting areas provide added protection. Together, these features create an environment where both staff and patients can focus on care rather than personal safety concerns.
Streamlining Operations Through Clarity and Technology
Within the facility, operational clarity further supports care teams. Clear sightlines and straightforward wayfinding guide patients directly to concierge desks, registration, elevators, and treatment areas, reducing confusion and lowering patient anxiety. This, in turn, alleviates some of the emotional burden on staff, who often absorb the stress of disoriented visitors. Technology also plays a key role in streamlining operations: registration/ lab check-ins alert clinics the moment a patient arrives, reducing waiting times and preventing bottlenecks. Charging stations and Wi-Fi throughout waiting areas enable patients and their loved ones to stay connected and productive, easing dependence on staff for nonclinical support.
Creating Therapeutic Environments That Heal
Creating therapeutic environments that foster healing was another central goal. We designed waiting areas to feel more like comfortable living rooms than clinical settings, replacing sterility with warmth. Infusion bays are organized into small “neighborhoods” to encourage supportive patient interactions, while private rooms remain available for those seeking quiet or discretion. Family rooms adjacent to treatment spaces give caregivers a respite area to lounge, take calls or give their loved one space without feeling disconnected. Outdoor landscaped seating, bioswales, green roof, and a planned café with exterior dining extend restorative opportunities into nature. Indoor biophilic elements, like planters, moss walls, and nature-inspired artwork, further reinforce a calming atmosphere proven to reduce stress and support healing.
Embedding Staff Wellness as a Core Care Model Component
Equally important, we recognize staff well-being as inseparable from patient outcomes. Research consistently shows that higher nurse staffing levels correlate with lower patient mortality and fewer adverse events, while excessive patient loads contribute directly to burnout and turnover. To support care teams, break and wellness rooms are included on every floor, offering staff immediate access to nourishment and respite that are critical in oncology’s emotionally intense environment. A central break room and conference rooms, collaborative workspaces, and an elevated outdoor terrace provide opportunities for professional connection and decompression—serving as essential infrastructure for sustaining a healthy, stable workforce.
A Blueprint for Future Oncology Facilities
These trends stand as the pillars defining our design approach to oncology care now and well into the future, giving healthcare leaders a clear path toward cancer centers built for a more resilient workforce and more efficient operations. As the industry advances, this framework empowers organizations to cultivate environments that anticipate emerging patient and family needs and steadfastly support and protect the people delivering care.
The post Designing to Protect Its People: A Strategic Blueprint for Strengthening Oncology Staff and Patient Well‑Being appeared first on Becker's Hospital Review | Healthcare News & Analysis.
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