New hospitals cost between $1.5 to $2 million per bed. Evidence-based design principles that can result in a better patient room are discussed in this brief article by a researcher for Herman Miller Healthcare. Among the most frequently incorporated principles in new patient care units are single-patient rooms; easily accessible handwashing sinks; surfaces intended to reduce patient falls; and differentiated zones for patient, family, and caregivers. Mentions that the cost to replace a full-time RN is about $36,000.
Source: Bazuin, D. Patient rooms: a changing scene of healing, creating flexibility for future treatments and technology. FacilityCare;15(6):22-23, Sept. 2010. A related white paper is: HermanMiller Healthcare. Patient Rooms: A Changing Scene of Healing, 2010.