Medical staff's sentiments on the establishment of quiet time in the NICU

Abstract

Aim: To explore the sentiments of medical staff in setting quiet time in a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit.Background: Quiet time, which can help create a healing neonatal intensive care unit environment, is increasingly being valued by hospital administrators.Methods: Semi-structured interviews were used to interview 12 neonatal intensive care unit staff members, with data analysed using the content analysis method.Results: This study extracted four themes: support, concern, education and teamwork.Conclusions: If quiet time needs to be set up, implemented and maintained in the neonatal intensive care unit, it is necessary to establish a quiet time culture throughout the whole ward, to carry out detailed management of quiet time and to cooperate and communicate with multidisciplinary departments. Implications for Nursing Management:To keep the ward quiet and minimize handling during quiet time, it is necessary to take adequate steps from a management level. Targeted staff training and education allow staff to appreciate the necessity and urgency of setting quiet time for themselves and babies. It is also necessary to refine the educational content of noise reduction and minimal handling and provide clear guidance on the best means to carry out clinical work during quiet time. Nursing managers need to establish a monitoring system for NICU noise and manage various noise sources made from equipment and people.

Impact of Quiet Time on Psychological Outcomes of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Nurses in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…The harmful effects of high noise levels reach healthcare professionals, especially NICU nurses, who may stay inside the NICU for a whole shift daily. These harmful effects include physical and psychological consequences such as headaches, hypertension, burnout, low-performance levels, and negative psychological outcomes [ 3 , 22 , 26 , 27 ]. Therefore, implementing noise reduction solutions in the NICU may alleviate the negative consequences for babies and healthcare professionals [ 22 ].…”

“…Both patients and nurses benefit from daily quiet periods. Quiet time refers to reducing light and sound for a period of time [ 3 , 28 ]. During quiet time, measures should be implemented, including limiting conversations, eliminating environmental noise, and dimming lights [ 8 ].…”

“…Noise is prevalent and inevitable in the ICU [1][2][3][4]. When noise exceeds the recommended level, it can be harmful to patients as well as healthcare professionals [1,5,6].…”

Reducing Noise in the NICU

“…For staff, excessive noise stress is associated with suboptimal performance and burnout. [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] For infants, stress from noise increases the consumption of calories and disrupts normal growth and development. 6 These can contribute to increased length of NICU stay, need for rehabilitative care, and increased health care costs.…”

“…In addition, NICU architecture and the type of bed may contribute to the neonate’s exposure to noxious sounds 2,4,5,31. To address this problem, several approaches have been reported to promote a “culture of silence” and increase protected sleep, including quiet time protocols, staff education programs, visual noise feedback monitors, and staff “sound compliance supervisors” 3,5,10,32-37. Ongoing staff education programs, coupled with monitoring noise levels, are essential to sustaining a commitment to noise reduction in the NICU.…”