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Noise at night in hospital general wards

Fillary, Julie; Chaplin, Hema; Jones, Gill; Thompson, Angela; Holme, Anita; Wilson, Patricia

Authors

Julie Fillary

Gill Jones

Angela Thompson

Anita Holme

Patricia Wilson



Abstract

English NHS inpatient surveys consistently identify that noise at night in hospitals and its impact on patients' sleep is a persisting problem that needs addressing. To identify how noise at night in hospital affects patients on general wards and the range of interventions aimed at reducing the problem, a systematic mapping of the literature was undertaken. All primary studies and relevant literature published January 2003–July 2013 were included. Key issues identified in the literature included noise levels and causes, impact on patient experience, and lack of staff awareness. Interventions to reduce noise were targeted at staff education, behaviour modification, care organisation and environmental solutions. The scoping suggested that when compared with specialist units, there is little evidence on effective interventions reducing disturbance from night-time noise on general wards. The available evidence suggests a whole systems approach should be adopted to aid quality sleep and promote recovery.

Citation

Fillary, J., Chaplin, H., Jones, G., Thompson, A., Holme, A., & Wilson, P. (2015). Noise at night in hospital general wards. British Journal of Nursing, 24(10), 515-540. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2015.24.10.536

Journal Article Type Article
Online Publication Date May 27, 2015
Publication Date May 29, 2015
Deposit Date Sep 18, 2024
Journal British journal of nursing (Mark Allen Publishing)
Print ISSN 0966-0461
Publisher MA Healthcare
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 24
Issue 10
Pages 515-540
DOI https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2015.24.10.536
PMID 26018021