Noise Exposure on Pediatric Inpatient Units

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Nursing Science
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Noise in healthcare settings is a significant issue for registered nurses (RNs).
• Exposure to noise can lead to safety events, reduced job performance, fatigue, irritability, and hearing loss.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify noise levels and identify primary noise sources within pediatric inpatient units.
• To investigate the physiological health impacts of environmental noise on pediatric RNs.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, nonexperimental study involving 65 pediatric RNs across 14 units.
• Measurement of noise levels (sound pressure levels - SPLs), heart rate (HR), and stress.
• Analysis of correlations between SPLs, HR, and stress indicators.

Main Results:

• Mean SPLs were 75.8 (8.9) dBA, exceeding patient noise levels.
• Noise levels were significantly associated with increased HR.
• No significant association was found between noise and time in tachycardia or stress levels. Employee conversations in patient rooms were the main noise source.

Conclusions:

• Noise levels on all studied units surpassed recommended protection agency guidelines.
• Structural modifications for noise reduction are often cost-prohibitive.
• Behavioral and cultural modifications are crucial for mitigating noise exposure in pediatric units.