Should nurses be able to listen to music at work?

Nurses General Nursing

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On numerous occasions, I've observed nurses playing music from their computers. Some of them are managers, which doesn't necessarily concern me since they aren't directly caring for patients. However, the other night, I noticed an ICU nurse playing music. The patient they were monitoring was obviously severely ill...on ECMO, CRRT, ventilator, many drips, tube feedings, etc. This did not seem safe to me, as music can be a distraction and with very critical patients, you need to be on top of all things at all times. What are your thoughts?

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
If it is soothing music like classical or jazz, it might actually be comforting to the patient. My thought is as long as it isn't loud and obnoxious, it shouldn't be a problem.

Jazz is not soothing to some of us. It's irritating. My thought is if the music is irritating your patient or your coworker, you ought to turn it off. No argument. Just turn it off.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I'm in a new position and have a contract so can't leave. However, the music all day drives me crazy. I'm not a music person and its rude IMHO to have it playing in a common office

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Background music while I'm working feels like someone whispering numbers in my ear while I'm trying to do math problems. I can't plug my ears while I'm typing, but I often have to plug them up so that I can proofread what I've written. I actually love my coworkers, so I don't complain ...but if their devices broke, I would shed no tears.

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Specializes in ER.
I'm in a new position and have a contract so can't leave. However, the music all day drives me crazy. I'm not a music person and its rude IMHO to have it playing in a common office

Can you not talk to your officemate and negotiate the issue? Agree on quiet hours, ask them to wear headphones for a couple hours in the afternoon? Maybe its not a dealbreaker for them but it surely is for you.

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Specializes in Emergency.
It drives me insane when someone either plays music, or sings/hums when I'm working. Of course, I work in an ICU and need to be attentive at all times. The humming irritates me badly! When someone is humming while presumably working, I think they must not have a thought in their head! Drives me crazy.

Ah crap, I hum while I'm working and don't realize it. It seems to be part of my concentration. But at least we will never work together because I think we are miles apart and in different disciplines. ;-)

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My policy is no music on the unit because we are not here to be entertained.

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Specializes in NICU.

Music does sooth the beast(ie the beast of stress etc.) We only play pleasant radio stations, one that everyone likes, from the computer we can select very nice easy listening which patients and family enjoy.It is played softly and lowered during consults etc.I could never survive a day without something nice to listen to,we even sing along.

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
Your music would drive me stark raving bonkers. More noise pollution on top of the beeps and bongs and shrieking of alarms, demented patients and entitled family members. I probably would not complain to you about it, but I'd be stressed out and cranky if I couldn't take myself far enough away from you that I couldn't hear it. If we had side-by-side patients in the ICU, it would be very uncomfortable.

Maybe you and I, Ruby Vee, could dance to the music of...

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.
Can you not talk to your officemate and negotiate the issue? Agree on quiet hours, ask them to wear headphones for a couple hours in the afternoon? Maybe its not a dealbreaker for them but it surely is for you.

Unfortunately, there is not only my cubicle-mate but in the adjoining cubicle another nurse who plays music all day too. Headphones are a great idea but we have to answer the phone too.

I am just not a music person...

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Specializes in ED, School Nurse.

When I worked in the ER, we used to "steal" a radio from the ICU and play it on the local "Playing the hits from the 70s, 80s, 90s and today!!" radio station. The ICU would take the radio back if a patient wanted to listen to music. So I ended up going out and buying a radio. The crew I worked with enjoyed having music playing in the background when we sat at the computer and charted. It wasn't loud, and I don't think you could even hear it in the patient room that was directly across from the nurse's station. But we all liked having music on while we worked.

Now I work as a school nurse. I have a little bluetooth speaker on my desk and I listen to music all the time. Otherwise I get to listen to the hum of the lights and the ticking of the second hand on the clock.

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In an office, like a triage room? Sure. I play music at school.

In the hospital, nah.

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Specializes in LTC.
I loved playing music at the bedside in the ICU whenever possible. I would ask families what the patient liked to listen to, and for bath time I would find a station on my Amazon Music app on my phone that coincided with the patient's preferences and play that. I cared for extremely high acuity patients in the ICU, and my brain works well when combining music with my detail oriented work. Our tvs also had a relaxation station that played classical and relaxing music along with nice scenery and I played it for my patients most of the time. If I were the patient, I would much prefer to hear music rather than all of the beeps and alarms in the ICU.

Did any of the families ever say "He/she loves heavy metal!" ? 😂

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