PDEng Creating Healthy Environments Hospitals

PDEng Creating Healthy Environments Hospitals

Published Deadline Location
4 Dec 31 Dec Eindhoven

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The PDEng will work on development of a toolbox to validate and improve the patient safety in hospitals, related to light(ing). One of the major societal challenges we are facing today is transforming healthcare so it becomes sustainable in terms of costs, availability and outcomes. The research trajectory “Creating Healthy Environments Hospitals” focusses on the impact of environmental conditions on the patient safety and satisfaction. It studies the possibilities to improve the lighting conditions in order to increase the staff satisfaction and performance; studies have shown that there is a direct correlation between staff satisfaction and patient satisfaction.One of the issues addressing patient safety is related to the visual performance of medication labels due to an inappropriate lighting condition. The PDEng candidate will therefore be collecting relevant data of healing environments related to medication labels and light as well as translating the results in a toolbox for practitioners

Job description

Context:

One of the major societal challenges we are facing today is transforming healthcare so it becomes sustainable in terms of costs, availability and outcomes. Outcomes for professionals refer to comfort, well-being, work pleasure and safety, minimizing risks in care and appropriate care performance, resulting in improved staff retention and effectiveness. Studies have shown that there is a direct correlation between staff satisfaction and patient satisfaction. Outcomes for patients are linked to the theme quality of life in terms of reductions of side effects after health treatment or a surgery, quicker recovery after hospital admission, or reducing hospital (re-)admissions, and are particularly impacted by safety issues, including falling incidents, hospital acquired infections, and treatment, administration and medication errors.

Project description:

This project is part of the research program "Creating Healthy Environments Hospitals" (CHEH), which aims at identifying environmental conditions, related to light, which improve the staff retention and effectiveness. One of the identified issues addressing patient safety are misread medication labels by the staff due to an inappropriate lighting condition. The first step in this project is to determine what lighting condition, under which conditions, is appropriate for visual performance related to patient safety, through user tests and data collection in hospitals. Once the appropriate lighting conditions for relevant roles and age groups have been determined, the aim of the project is to translate this in a toolbox for assessing the quality of the lighting of a hospital and recommending practical improvement solutions. The PDEng candidate will therefore be collecting relevant data of healing environments related to medication labels and light as well as translating the results in a toolbox.

The knowledge, as condensed in the form of the toolbox, should be applicable for cure and care facilities both in existing hospitals as in new hospitals. The toolbox can then be applied to make a quick-scan of the current (lighting) conditions and to certify hospitals with a sufficient environmental quality or to recommend practical solutions for improvement if necessary.

Setting:

The PDEng project "The development of a toolbox to validate and improve the patient safety in hospitals, related to lighting' will be part of the research program "Creating Healthy Environments Hospitals" (CHEH). It will be conducted at the University of Technology Eindhoven, under the Building Environment for Future Users chair in the Building Performance group in collaboration with the Building Lighting group, both of the Department of the Built Environment. The trainee will work under direct supervision of a PhD candidate in the CHEH program. The research will contribute to the activities within the TU/e Intelligent Lighting Institute (ILI) and is supported by Utrecht University of Applied Sciences and executed in collaboration with several hospitals in the Netherlands. The trainee will be supported by staff members of the groups 'Building Performance' and 'Building Lighting' which are specialized in Building Physics and Smart Lighting research. Combined, these groups cover expertise in the areas of indoor climate improvement, building simulations, daylighting, electric lighting and intelligent control.

Specifications

Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e)

Requirements

We are looking for talented, enthusiastic candidates who meet the following requirements:
  • A MSc degree in Building Physics or Built Environment related direction;
  • A background in (day)lighting;
  • Experience with (lighting) simulations, lighting measurements and experimental (field) studies;
  • A key interest in light and health topics;
  • Excellent communication skills in English and Dutch, both written and oral.
  • Conditions of employment

    We offer:
  • A full-time temporary appointment for a period of 2 years.;
  • A gross salary of € 1,828 per month plus 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end of the year allowance;
  • Support for your personal development and career planning including courses, summer schools, conference visits etc.;
  • A broad package of fringe benefits (e.g. excellent technical infrastructure, sport facilities and child daycare)
  • Assistance for finding accommodation can be given.
  • Specifications

    • Technical and laboratory; Research, development, innovation
    • Health
    • max. 38 hours per week
    • University graduate
    • V38.3105

    Employer

    Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e)

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    Location

    De Rondom 70, 5612 AP, Eindhoven

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