Quiet at night - L'Infirmière Magazine n° 341 du 15/03/2014 | Espace Infirmier
 

L'infirmière Magazine n° 341 du 15/03/2014

 

FORMATION ANGLAIS

Florence Nightingale said that « unnecessary noise is the most cruel absence of care which can be inflicted either on sick or well ». Research indicates that it is a significant barrier to a patient’s physiological and emotional healing during a hospital stay.(1)

At Beth Israel Deaconness Medical Center, Boston, a steering committee appointed a nurse champion to spearhead their Quiet at Night project and staff were solicited for ideas.

The project team identified ten strategies for reducing nighttime noise on a 44-bed pilot unit. These included installing a noise indicator which flashed yellow and red warning lights when the established sound level was compromised ; using mini-flashlights for vital signs monitoring ; padding the pneumatic tube system with thicker foam and providing headphones to patients using television at night. Quiet hours were introduced from 9 pm to 6 am, when lights were dimmed ; pagers were turned to vibrate ; conversations were moved from hallways to staff rooms. Nurses began to educate patients and their families, introducing the initiative upon admission, supplying earplugs and a Quiet at Night bookmark reminder. Heating and air-conditioning units were checked and repaired. Patient care equipment, such as IV pumps and oxygen saturation monitors, was evaluated and adjusted where possible. 60 % of the pilot unit patients said that the area around their room was « always quiet » after the pilot initiative was completed, compared to 45 % before the pilot.

Voir aussi www.nursezone.com, mots clés : Noise reduction strategies.

1- American Journal of Nursing, December 2013, Vol. 113, No. 12, pp 43-51. Murphy, Bernardo and Dalton, « Quiet at night ».

MOTS ET EXPRESSIONS

Unnecessary (adj) Superflu, inutile

Healing (n) Guérison

Stay (n) Séjour

To appoint (v) Nommer (quelqu’un)

Nurse champion (n) Infirmière responsable du projet

To spearhead (v) Lit. : être le fer de lance de ; ici, mener, conduire

To dim (lights) Baisser, tamiser (la lumière)

QUESTIONS

1. Who plays a role in the Beth Israel Quiet at Night project ?

The hospital steering committee, a nurse champion and her team, all hospital staff (including nurses, maintenance staff), patients and family/visitors.

2. What response did 60 % of the patients give after the pilot scheme ?

The area around their room was « always quiet ».

Discuss : Have you or your patients been affected by unnecessary nocturnal noise ? What strategies can you and your colleagues propose to improve the situation ?

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