There is a growing body of literature suggesting that interventions to reduce noise or to promote patient relaxation enhance physiological measures of recovery and patient perceptions of well being.вЂќ Call 1 noted that вЂњstudies show that high levels of sound have negative physical and psychological effects on patients, disrupting sleep, increasing stress levels, and decreasing patientsвЂ™ confidence in their caregivers.вЂќ Additionally, McCarthy et al 2 wrote that вЂњenvironmental noise and its potential effects on healing and recovery rate are of special concern to nurses in hospital settings where increased levels of noise and the effects of noise on patient sleep and cognitive function have been well documented in the literature. This assumption was based on staff interaction with patients and feedback from other caregivers, validated by a literature review by staff members. The staff also believed that noise affected the physiologic, psychologic, and overall health of patients. On the basis of this information, the council embarked on a unit-wide noise-reduction project to improve the environment for patients and families. Noise levels on the unit rose to an all-time high in April 2008 and patient-satisfaction scores plummeted in relation to noise level beginning in February 2008. The nursing station areas are shared by multiple care providers, including physicians, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, case managers, and others, causing noise levels in work areas grow to even higher. The 40-bed unit has a variable census and semiprivate patient rooms and is part of the primary stroke center for the organization. The group also used a direct patient-satisfaction questionnaire related to noise because they believed that it showed the patientsвЂ™ true feelings and responses to the noise levels on the unit. The staff serving on the Professional Practice Council of the Inpatient Neuroscience Unit at St Luke's Hospital and Health Network, Bethlehem Campus, recognized a department trend for low patient-satisfaction scores related to environmental noise levels. Postproject scores rose to the 95th percentile by July 2008. In April 2008, before project initiation, patient-satisfaction scores ranked in the second percentile in the Press Ganey large hospital grouping. Initial pre-education readings were as high as 78.1 dB standard recommended levels are 40 dB. Results: Before project initiation, dB readings were found to be well above the hospital environment recommendations. Comparisons of patient-satisfaction scores related to noise level were completed before and after staff education. Preproject and postproject patient surveys were completed. Baseline decibel (dB) readings were obtained in ongoing data collection six times a day.

Methods: The performance-improvement model of Plan, Do, Check, Act, along with a literature review, was used to identify the negative effects of noise on patients and staff.

The effects of noise on the health of patients and staff provided additional rationale for the project. Setting: A comprehensive noise-reduction project was initiated in response to low patient-satisfaction scores on an inpatient neuroscience unit at St Luke's Hospital and Health Network.

Denoise projects professional serial