How to keep a quiet environment on the night shift

[Lobe220]

Hello everyone, so our HCAHPS score for "quietness at night" came back very low for the past couple of months on our unit. My nurse manager likes to assign different nurses to come up with plans and implement them in our unit to improve our scores and our patients' satisfaction. I was assigned to improving the quietness during the night. The only thing I have so far is a sign that pretty much says to not use cellphones in the hallway or in rooms after 9pm (something along those lines). Anyways, does anyone have any ideas, something they practice in their own unit? please let me know! Thank you!

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

Part of our problem is that being a more surgical floor, docs usually rounds pretty early (0630-0700) and want to review labs before they go off to surgery so pts are getting lab draws 0330-0430 so if they have vitals done at 0000, they are woken up again for lab draws and probably don't get to back to sleep. I think our quietest time is between 1330 and 1630, Most of our pts nap at that time.

[Malakite]

these tips are helpful thanks guys

[icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN]

One hospital had single pt headphones, like you get on an airplane, that plugged into the tv remote/call bell. Very helpful, especially with HOH pts who blast the tv.

[bugya90, ASN, BSN, LVN, RN]

Turn the lights down or off (ask them to install dimmer switches for the hallway lights if possible). Turn the volume down on alarms and call lights if possible, keep staff conversations quiet and away from patients rooms, close patient room doors if allowed by your facility so they aren't hearing everything in the hallway.

Some of these are easy fixes and some aren't but you will look good coming to management with all of the suggestions from everyone 😜

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

At the LTC where I work all hallway lights go down 50% after 10 pm. Nurses station staff is required to work "Quietly". While we allow 24 hour visiting we post signs that 10pm to 6 am is "Quiet Time" and "Please Respect our Patient's need to rest."

Hppy

[Farawyn]

Don't let me work nights ever again. I am LOUD.

I daresay this is why ixchel now works days.

[icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN]

There is always that one person on night shift who has a loud and booming deep voice who wants to liven things up and socialize, and who takes offense when reminded that people are trying to sleep.

Right now I could use some tips on getting Mr Partyanimal to quiet down or go away.

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

We, too dim lights in the hallways and since we have computers in all the room, we make to turn the monitors off so screen savers don't keep pts awake.

[BiotoBSNtoFNP]

My floor's noise problem mostly stems from us being unintentionally loud at the nurses station 😳 we are working on it.

We also have problems with maintenance who comes around to wax the floor with their big, loud ride on machines or hammers during the night to fix a door (yes, that's happened multiple times. You'd think daytime would be more appropriate for hammers and power tools!!)

Finally, patients also complain about being awoken for 0000 or 0400 vitals, meds, blooddraws etc. when we try to explain that it is ordered and for their safety and benefit, patients still become angry that they were waked.

On the rare occasion, we are able to get earplugs from psych for patients who complain about the noise.

I really like the single use headphone idea!

[idodialysis]

I knew of a facility that had a decibel monitor at the nurses station and it was I believe the secretary's job to monitor it and inform charge when it got too loud.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

We used to have a decibel monitor that looked like a stoplight that traveled around just to show people how loud mundane activities could get. Didn't set off any kind of warning alarm; someone had to be looking at it.

[Farawyn]

There is always that one person on night shift who has a loud and booming deep voice who wants to liven things up and socialize, and who takes offense when reminded that people are trying to sleep.

Right now I could use some tips on getting Mr Partyanimal to quiet down or go away.

Or Ms.