Noise In Nursing

The hospital is a setting where a person comes in their greatest time of need to achieve their optimum level of health. The surroundings inside the hospital should create an atmosphere conducive to comfort and wellness. Recent research by the World Health Organization (WHO) (2011) found that exposure to environmental noise is directly related to an increase in cardiovascular disease, mental impairment in children, and sleeping disorders. An article by Fillary, Hema, Jones, Thompson, Holme, & Wilson, (2015) discuss how common environmental noises found in the hospital setting disrupts a patient during their stay; the patient’s sleep cycle is interrupted and can cause detrimental health effects including impaired healing through decreased immune

According to Davies (2012), Florence Nightingale identified environmental noise as “unnecessary noise is that which hurts a patient.” She further states, “it is rarely the loudness of the noise” (Davies, 2012). In the observation and examination of an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Wenham and Pittard (2009), identify environmental noise as undesirable, unwarranted and annoying sounds that are subjective in nature to the patient. They further define noise as physiological or psychological stressors (Wenham & Pittard, 2009). Additional support for environmental noise as a psychosocial stressor activating the sympathetic and endocrine system was pointed out by Babisch

The sound can be loud or dull; the noise can come from a conversation or alarms on equipment. The repetitive nature of the sound can become a nuisance, therefore, allowing the patient to experience increased stress during the hospital stay. This increased stress creates a negative impact on the health and well-being of the patient.

Environmental sound is subjective to the patient’s judgment. Each individual in the hospital may find a different environmental noise to be an annoyance. The unwarranted sound creates an atmosphere that disrupts sleep patterns and delays healing. The disruptive sounds can cause aggravation for the patient and/or visitor and the patient’s perception of their hospital stay may be greatly affected. These feelings are very common and reported on the HCAHPS. The less the patient is satisfied, the less the hospital is