Date of Award

2013

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Nursing (MAN)

Department

Nursing

First Advisor

Joyce P. Miller DNP, RN

Abstract

The operating room can be a very noisy environment. Noise in this setting can affect patient's physiologically as well as psychologically and it can also affect operating room staff. The review of the literafure shows the effects noise in the operating room has on patients and staff. Patients can become tachycardic and hypertensive due to the exposure to increased noise in the operating room while staff concentration can be impeded as well. The creation of a noise reduction program for the operating room will create a healing environment. The healing environment will help both patients and operating room staff, Patients vital signs will no longer be affected by noise while staff will produce less errors due to miscommunication. The noise reduction program is based on the idea of creating awareness among operating room staff about the problem of noise levels in the operating room. This awareness will be done with the hopes of creating behavior changes. The project is guided by Nightingale's Environmental Adaption Theory which is grounded in the idea that nurses have the ability to make changes in a patient's environment in to promote healing. A Rainbow Effect metaphor was designed to show the process of changing a noisy operating room environment into a healing environment though the implementation of the noise reduction program. By creating a healing environment in the operating room, it is hoped that patients have a more positive operating room experience with better outcomes.

Identifier

SC 11.MAN.2013.Grimshaw.E

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