Could Spatial Awareness Affect Situation Awareness: A Conceptual Examination

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between situation awareness (SA) and the physical environment in patient rooms through building a conceptual model. Background: Nurses work in very complicated and dynamic environments where having high levels of SA could be critical for their performance. Studies have also shown that nurses’ awareness of the physical environment and patient room is a part of their awareness of dynamic situations in which nurses’ spatial awareness may play a role in SA. Despite literature outlining the importance of SA, there is a lack of studies exploring the relationship between the two. Method: A literature review was conducted for the study from nursing and psychology databases. Thirty-three articles, books, and dissertations from a scoping review were included for in-depth review. Results: An in-depth review of the harvested literature indicated that there is in fact a relationship between these two phenomena. Founded on Endsley’s model of SA, the literature review in this study offers a conceptual model that articulates a plausible causal pathway between the physical environment and SA. Conclusions: There are a lot of studies focusing on SA and various aspects of it related to nursing, but almost none mention the physical environment and its impact on SA. The current inquiry suggests that spatial awareness plays a prominent role in SA.