Noise Reduction in a Hospital Setting Using Education Based on a Cultural Change Model

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of a Tranquility Training program on reducing unit noise and changing nurses' perception of organizational culture, knowledge of noise awareness, noise reduction strategies, and unit noise levels. The study is a time series, prospective, quasi-experimental pilot study. The Tranquility Training Program was implemented on the Pulmonary Telemetry Unit {PTU} at a 300-bed community hospital. Another Intermediate Care Unit {IMC} in the same hospital with a similar architectural layout, patient population, and nurse staffing ratio served as a control group. Noise was measured at three separate time periods: pre-intervention, one month after the intervention, and six months after the intervention. Staff surveys were completed before the intervention and six months after the intervention. At the one-month post-intervention follow-up, participants in both units demonstrated a desire to reduce noise and felt empowered to make an impact in noise reduction. These perceptions were sustained through to the six month follow-up. Both units reduced noise levels at the one-month follow-up but did not approach the levels recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency for hospitals. Although there was an increase in noise at six months from levels observed at one month, both units sustained a quieter level than baseline. There were no group (education vs. no-education) differences in noise or staff perception measures. It appears that the process of measuring noise over time may have resulted in noise reduction on both units