Saint Thomas Midtown’s new ICU was redesigned to make life easier for nurses

COVID has inspired changes to a $300 million addition to Saint Thomas Midtown. The hospital is building a new critical care and surgical tower.

The plans were drawn up before the pandemic. But COVID revealed some new needs. For one, the surgery recovery area can now easily be converted to additional ICU rooms if the hospital runs out. Before COVID led to canceled elective procedures, hospitals hadn’t considered alternative ways the hospital could be used in a crisis.

“We wouldn’t honestly have thought that we could do it,” says hospital CEO Shubhada Jagasia. “But now that we’ve done it, we say, ‘Well, it’s possible and we should plan for it in the future.’ ”

Jagasia was hired as the hospital leader for Saint Thomas Midtown and West in April after leaving her role as chief of staff at Vanderbilt’s adult hospital overseeing COVID care.

Many of the design changes are meant to make things easier for a workforce that has grown very tired while caring for COVID patients.

More: How a Nashville ICU nurse copes with Tennessee’s latest COVID surge

There are now more supply closets closer to each ICU room, so nurses aren’t running all over the place. Rooms are designed so they can more easily check on patients from the hallway. And there will be “e-sitters” so staffers can keep a constant eye on critical patients remotely.

The ICU also added showers to the locker rooms, after seeing how many nurses wanted to rinse off and change clothes before heading home during the pandemic.

“I think we have realized what a toll it’s taken on people,” Jagasia says. “So, not being cognizant of the fact that they have additional needs that we can plan for and intentionally deliver on seems shortsighted.”

Hospital officials also hope the redesign will attract new nurses — as the entire health care industry navigates a shortage.