Sleeping amenities

[Geneve RN]

I am on a committee r/t noise control and lack of sleep on our unit and we are trying to create an amenity bag with eye covers, ear plugs, etc. We are at square one and I am interested in info from anyone that has something like this on their unit or knows anything about starting this up...Any ideas?? THANKS.

[Otessa, BSN, RN]

I am on a committee r/t noise control and lack of sleep on our unit and we are trying to create an amenity bag with eye covers, ear plugs, etc. We are at square one and I am interested in info from anyone that has something like this on their unit or knows anything about starting this up...Any ideas?? THANKS.

I have worked where they have a stoplight noise decibel 'reader'-green when no noise or decibel level is low, yellow-getting too loud, red-too loud-trouble.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

We have the "yacker-tracker" as described by Otessa. It floats from one department to another as a reminder to be quiet.

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

in the interest of practicality, a set of ear plugs and an eye shield would probably suffice. The "yakker tracker" is also a good idea to place throughout the facility.

[FLArn]

Installing dim lights in room for checking on patients or performing tasks that do not require a bright light and grouping tasks so multiple people are not serially waking patients (e.g. nurse w/ meds then 15 min later phleb for labs, then 10 min later xray for films etc.)

[mentalhealthRN]

white noise machines can be purchased cheaply for each room.

The one time I was a patient for 5 days I definately found it hard to sleep. One of the things that was hard was the CONSTANT beeping of IVs--no IV push and only piggy backs makes for A LOT of beeping. Too bad they can't make a system that would beep at the nurses station or send a vibrating page to the nurse instead of beeping in the room--where the nurse doesn't hear it half the time and the patient is driven nuts by it--would be a god send! lol

and yes having all the staff carry flashlights as so much can be done with a flashlight instead of turning on the overhead lights.

[CaLLaCoDe, BSN, RN]

I like FLArn's idea of dim lights on a unit. I for one have often used the restroom in the room to provide light at night, especially when the door is proximal to the entry so that I don't have to stumble over stuff at night. I can use the restroom door to increase or decrease the level of light I want depending on circumstance. Kind of like a dimmer switch.

Chamomile tea works too~

[BabyLady, BSN, RN]

Installing dim lights in room for checking on patients or performing tasks that do not require a bright light and grouping tasks so multiple people are not serially waking patients (e.g. nurse w/ meds then 15 min later phleb for labs, then 10 min later xray for films etc.)

I agree with this! I really hate it when I go into a patient's room and have to turn on a bright light just to spot check vitals only because there is no other light available.

[serenity1]

We are getting ready to launch aromatherapy on our unit. Maybe something like that would help with sleep?

[caliotter3]

I was recently a patient where the hospital TV had a channel devoted to pleasant ambient music. Helped tremendously, but the sound machines would have more choices.

[GM2RN]

Installing dim lights in room for checking on patients or performing tasks that do not require a bright light and grouping tasks so multiple people are not serially waking patients (e.g. nurse w/ meds then 15 min later phleb for labs, then 10 min later xray for films etc.)

I think coordinating tasks is a fabulous idea. I just don't know how in the world you can pull it off.

[GM2RN]

We are getting ready to launch aromatherapy on our unit. Maybe something like that would help with sleep?

Another good idea but I'm skeptical about how well it will work. When patients are ill, they may not want to have to smell even "good" aromas. Plus, some people, like myself, have sensitive sinuses. Even things that smell good can bother me and set to sneezing and my sinuses to draining.