Noise level at night

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Hello everyone!

I wanted to get some opinions and suggestions about reducing noise levels during the night shift.

What are the main sources of noise for your unit/floor? Was there a program/education put in place to reduce noise levels? Does the staff mix effect your noise level? What did you or your unit do about addressing a loudmouth? How much of the noise level was environmental like doors, carts, pumps, vents, etc?

I am curious to see if you all are having the same issues we are.

Thank you!

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

Oh, I hate that customer service as much as anyone else. But I think there's a difference between customer service and good patient care, at least in intent and purpose even when it might seem like the same ends. Allowing the patient to sleep as much as possible given their condition allows (and if they're on Q1hr anything obviously that's going to be basically no sleep) is much different to me than all that pillow fluffing satisfaction survey nonsense. I make sure they have water when they ask because hydration is important. I find them an extra pillow because I want them to be as comfortable as our hospital beds allow. I do my best to be conscientious about noise at night because sleep is healing. If patients feel like they got good "customer service" as a side effect, well, so be it, but these types of things fall under good patient care for me.

As to the customer service BS, I refuse to use scripted language. If a family member has a complaint I am happy to address it but if something critical is going on with another patient it will absolutely have to wait. If a patient wants to refuse labs or NOC vitals, they will get educated on how and why that is detrimental to their health. If a parent refuses to keep crib rails up and then wants to know if it's still my fault if their baby falls out of the crib, I make sure they know that THEY are responsible for their child's safety when they are at the bedside.

^Well said!

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

Have you, or your family member, ever stayed in the hospital as a patient? I stayed in the hospital for about 2 weeks a couple of years ago. It was the worst place for me to get rest because my vital signs were being checked Q4H, in addition to being woken up for medications, blood work, etc. I understood that those things were medically necessary for my well-being. You standing outside of my room at the nurses' station carrying on in a loud voice and laughing loudly isn't medically necessary for me to heal.

It's one thing to break your back for patients because of the push towards treating them as "customers", but I learned when I was about five years-old to talk with an "inside voice" and what it means to be respectful of people around me (including those who are sleeping). That's common courtesy. There's a big difference.

^agreed!!

I was a CC pt about 5 years ago. I got the best sleep because there were mindful of noises. I was near the nurses station, and I did not hear a thing; even as I got better, the atmosphere was pretty quiet, even at night.

Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.

I think the way we view this thread is directly related to the way we've been treated over the last several days.

My interactions with the "customer", have been brutal this week.

I'm leaning towards the idislikeCODEbrowns way of thinking.

I suspect he/she has had an equally unpleasant week with unpleasant pts.

Yes this!!!

I'm sure I'm guilty of laughing a little too loudly on my night shifts. But guess what? I'm also the nurse that stays fully awake an alert my whole shift at all times. A few of my coworkers that are always quiet and respectful on nights are also the ones with their heads on the desk with eyes closed and all disoriented when something happens. If I were a pt I'd take the louder alert nurse anyday.

Maybe so. But when the patient answers thier HCHPS survey, they are likley remembering the louder nurse in a negative way, and at the same time assuming that all the nurses were awake and alert.

and at the same time assuming that all the nurses were awake and alert.

IDK. I get asked a lot where we sleep during the shift and get surprised looks when I tell patients we are awake all night.

Maybe so. But when the patient answers thier HCHPS survey, they are likley remembering the louder nurse in a negative way, and at the same time assuming that all the nurses were awake and alert.

I work in Canada and we don't have such surveys

Sleep is a physiological need not a want. Nurses who work nights should be more aware of this than others and protect what little sleep a patient can get.

My unit also cracked down on TV in patients' rooms. A vented, sedated patient does not need the TV on. Turn off the televisions at night, life gets much quieter.

Specializes in Gerontology.

I don't work nights anymore, but used to do them a lot.

One night the person I was working with said "its funny. There are a lot less calls bells and pt's calling out when I work with you that when I work with Jane". I told her that was because I turned the radio down, kept my voice quiet and did not yell down the hall to anyone. Simple logic. Keep the unit quiet and pts will sleep better.

Specializes in Critical Care.

i work during the day and the noise level is embarassing at times, tbh.

shift change, people have no concept of inside voices and that for the rest of the nonnurses, it is only 645am so be quiet!!

iv beeps! i always put the alarm volume as soft as i can, without it being silent, its enough to drive me crazy when i hear another room iv going off, nevermind if i was confined to a bed and the beep was in my room!

other family/visitors.....we had a african patient who had just a nonstop flow of visitors who spoke loudly/yelled, sang songs/prayers upwards of 12 people in the room. i had patients/family members poking their heads outside their doors to see what the commotion was and if everything was "okay"....once they realized what was going on, they were NOT happy.

i usually only open the blinds when breakfast trays come around 0800, some people leave all the lights on, doors open, etc. crazy rude , in my opinion. i always ask if the patient wants the light on, door open, etc. some people do, which is cool, but to many, it disrupts their day.

Specializes in RN.

Good topic. What else could be done? I work nights, and I think day and night shift volume levels should be considered the same. People are going to wake up. I may be having a bad day, dying pt, whatever...or I may be laughing at something that helps me relieve some stress or something...I admit to being a contributor to ruckus at night before, for that I am guilty. But let's not start believing that Nurses somehow need to become more of a puppet than we already are. No one sleeps 'normal' in the hospital anyway, come on. So Nurses, tone it down a bit, but people, CLOSE THE DOOR!!!

Specializes in RN.
Cackling laughter and foot stomping. People talking over each other.

I think there's got to be a happy medium between expecting hotel-like silence and hooting and hollering like you're at a backyard barbeque.

Agree 100%

Specializes in RN.
Sorry to offend anyone but my beef w/ this whole issue is that I am seeing more and more pts who pick and choose when they want to be treated like pts and when they want to be 'paying customers who feel its ok to be waited on 24/7, I understand controlling noise level around others, nights or not, but its a slippery slope when people start forgetting what a hospital's are for (to get better) not to have a jug of ice water 3/4 filled w/ ice and the rest water and heaven forbid that there's too much ice... Or what about those pts who insist on staff putting signs on their doors saying 'do not interrupt between 11pm and 7am' really,this is a ******* hospital and you'll probably be the pt who turns around and sues bc your potassium level was 2.5 and had an arrhythmia but was refusing to get labs rechecked at 4am...hospitals aren't hotels bottom line, it's not pleasant and you shouldn't like being there more than your own home

Nicely stated

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