Waiting Room Furniture Can Create a Welcoming Waiting Room

As the first point of contact, your waiting room is an opportunity to show your values as a business. What the patients or visitors see, hear and experience within this space is a subconscious indicator of the level of care they can expect throughout their visit. For returning patients it serves as a gentle reminder of the care they have received.

Traditionally, the waiting room experience has been crowded and stressful with lighting and sounds and spaces that are too much or too little. This additional stress can further complicate existing conditions – the last thing a waiting room should achieve. However, waiting rooms also have the potential to calm your visitors, through layout, flow, lighting and comfortable furnishings.

Furniture plays a crucial role. From enhancing comfort, catering to patient needs to supporting privacy and optimal treatment – the right furniture will positively impact your waiting room. At NPS Commercial Furniture, we offer a diverse range of healthcare furniture solutions to help you design spaces that prioritize the needs of patients, clients, and your employees.

Accessibility equals inclusivity.

Accessibility for all patients and adaptability to changing circumstances should be considered when designing your space. From leaving sufficient space for wheelchair parking to providing a variety of seating options – care taken here will leave a vital impression on those who need it most.

Our modular furnishing options are designed with patients with mobility issues and those who use medical equipment in mind. Made up of 4 different modules that can be reconfigured, Bend is one such option that considers the ever-changing requirements of a waiting room. Not only is this modular incredibly versatile, but it also comes in a variety of quality fabrics and finishes that achieve both style and functionality.

One size does not fit all.

Relaxation is key to easing and soothing anxieties, assisted by selecting comfortable seating options such as plush sofas, armchairs, or ergonomic chairs. For a level of comfort that makes a difference, however, why not provide a range of seating options?

For your visitors or patients with impaired mobility, they may require extra-wide seating to accommodate an injury. Plus+ Sofa It provides total support with a high seat height and a 2- or 3-seater option. It is both stylish and supportive for those with specific requirements.

Other patients may require seating that comes in a variety of widths or is engineered to support a high weight capacity. Such as those requiring bariatric surgery or to support the weight of a cast. The Monarch Plus chair has been created with patient-centered design and inclusivity top of mind.

The aim of any business is to provide equal, comfortable access to healthcare. Anxiety is a part of the patient's experience. However, what you do to assist those who need those special considerations of disability, elevates the additional concerns they take into most settings.

Bring the outside in.

Biophilic design is becoming increasingly popular due to our subconscious desire to be in nature. This affinity with the environment is not only aesthetic but also positively affects our health. Baldwin (2012) showed the use of plants and natural greenery in waiting rooms assists in reducing patient stress and promoting healing.

Innovation and nature meet in our Green Islands ottoman which provides both a relaxing refuge and an inbuilt flowerpot – adding visual interest and greenery to your waiting room. Choosing natural finishes, such as the birch and oak featured in the Pedrali Malmo 395 Wood Dining Chair is yet another way to bring the outdoors in.

Craft an experience.

Quality lighting provides many benefits. It is critical for both patient comfort and staff productivity. Ambient lighting can create an environment that is calming – alleviating the natural anxieties of a patient. Through innovative design, our range of Luxxbox lighting not only provides ambient lighting but by utilising acoustic panels, it also softens noise in open spaces.

A small investment with significant payoff.

Studies have shown a causal relationship between office noise and an increase in physiological stress. The results of this study indicate that such noise heightens negative mood by 25 per cent. Offering your staff, a breakout space where they can take a rest from the demands of their role is a gesture that will not only pay off in staff satisfaction but will also be felt in the care they provide.

NPS prides itself on thinking outside the box when it comes to the future of workspaces. Our range of Autex Acoustics offers an incredibly innovative variety of acoustic solutions; from wall and ceiling to working stations.

Your staff are integral to creating a warm, welcoming environment with great customer service. Breakout rooms are beneficial to staff retention. Secondly, it sets you apart as a business that cares when recruiting staff – evidence you’ve listened to needs and taken action to provide for your people. Ability to recharge is key. NPS offers a range of acoustic seating and lighting, and comfortable lounges where your staff can recoup their energy.

Superior design is intentional. It indicates that you have taken the time to consider how patients and visitors experience your waiting room. An intention that is felt through furnishings, décor, and ambience you choose for this space. Prioritising quality, functionality and creating an environment that is not only pleasing to the eye but also caters to the differing needs of your visitors ensures that through every touchpoint – your care is felt.

Investing in the aspects that make a patient stay in your waiting room a positive experience affects overall ROI (Return on Investment) for your business. This experience also translates into referral, repeat visitation and reviews, in a digital world where access to this kind of information is instantaneous – these impressions matter.

NPS Commercial Furniture is a Townsville-based furniture supplier. Our knowledgeable team are specialists in creating warm and functional waiting rooms. We’re also a full-service supplier meaning that we can quote, purchase, and install waiting room solutions for you. Contact our team today on 1300 889 194 or at hello@npscommercialfurniture.com.au to learn more.