ABSTRACT
Patient flow into a facility is the first important consideration. Planners including administrators, staff and designers must consider access to the building and realize it could be by ambulance, on foot, by police cruiser, or by car; day or night. The psychiatric emergency area should be separate from areas for arriving ambulances, the noisy and crowded general waiting rooms, and the confusion of medical emergency staff and patients interacting. The seclusion room should have a minimum of stimuli and be easily observed by staff. A person's noisiness within the room should not disturb others in surrounding areas. Staff should be able to observe the room at all times. The staff rooms should be placed so that staff can observe all the patient areas, the family waiting room, and the corridors. The staff stations should be within view by the rest of the emergency department so interaction between staff and patients or visitors is facilitated.
