Advice for decreasing noise

[RN ColbyJack]

My unit, a telemetry step-down ish unit, routinely gets low patient satisfaction scores on noise at the nurses station. Besides getting staff to lower their voices, anyone got advice on ways to decrease the racket? Maybe somebody has a creative idea or something simple I might be overlooking.

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

Some neonatal ICU's use what looks like a stoplight (with green, yellow and red lights) to monitor and warn about noise levels. I think one brand is called a "Yacker Tracker". I've personally never seen one but it sounds like a great idea. I've never heard of them being used in other units but if your unit has decreased patient satisfaction scores then this might be an idea.

[ChristyMNOP]

I guess it depends on what kind of noise. Is it phones ringing and monitors beeping? If so then you could test run turning the phone down to a low setting and see if anyone misses calls, etc.

[meownsmile, BSN, RN]

We found most of the complaints about noise of course came at the 11pm shift change generally. We try to get the evening CNA's to get vitals and pull the patients doors to before shift change at 11. It does help with complaints and the patients doors will be opne shortly after shift change with the next nurses going in for turns, checks and shift assessments.

[kmoonshine, RN]

Change of shift is when we have the most noise in the nurses station. We've recently implemented bedside report which decreases the noise and traffic in the nurses station. It also helps to make the patient feel that their care is being followed-through onto the next shift.

[PediASL]

I was a patient in a cardiovascular step down unit recently. The noise was indeed an issue. However, if the RN or CA remembered to close the door on their way out (specifically at night) the noise became much less an issue .

I know this sounds simple, and that is the point. It really made a world of difference!

PediASL

[lsyorke, RN]

Hubby is currently on a tele unit. The worst part of the noise is the intercom being used to locate staff, or direct them to a specific room. Beepers would solve that problem.

[clee1]

Hubby is currently on a tele unit. The worst part of the noise is the intercom being used to locate staff, or direct them to a specific room. Beepers would solve that problem.

We use in-house cell phones: the problem is that staff leave them at the nurse's station, or they just don't answer them - requiring a followup call on the I/C.

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

The unit that I was on at JHUH did a study on noise reduction that was published. They ended up putting noise reducing pads on the ceiling to help.

I have found that turing the lights down at night tends to make talkers "tone down".

[Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN]

Post signs that say "Shhh" !

Remind people that sound carries differently on nsg units than other places. ( don't know why, but it sure applies to our unit!)

Don't use overhead pager after 2100 and before 0800.

Use conferance room for report.

Remind people with loud voices to tone it down. I fine sometimes just looking at someone and say "Shh" does that trick.

Lower your voice when talking to someone - they will often follow suit.

If someone is very loud - point it out to them. Some people don't realize how loud they are . (of course, when I tried this with one physio because she was being very loud outside a dying pts room her response was "oh - they like to know that life is still going on! )