Implementing Quiet Time on an Acute Care Unit

Abstract

Problem: Hospitals are very noisy places, and the excessive level of noise has deleterious effects on patients. After discharge, patients often comment about the noise and rate their hospital stay poorly because of the noise. In 2019, nationally, 60.3% of patients stated that the hospital environment was always quiet. In the same year, on an inpatient, neuroscience, acute care unit on the east coast of the US, 45.1% of patients stated that the hospital environment was always quiet. Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to implement and evaluate the effectiveness of quiet time in an inpatient, neuroscience, acute care unit to achieve improved patient satisfaction. Methods: All staff were assigned a learning module on quiet time to be completed prior to implementation. Decibels were measured prior to and during quiet time each day. A quiet time checklist was used daily to ensure each element of quiet time took place. These elements included dimming the unit lights, closing each patient’s door, posting signs on the unit entrances to alert any visitors, limiting non-emergent bedside procedures, prohibiting over-head paging, and discussion with patients and visitors on admission quiet time. The survey Patient Survey on Noise During Hospital Stay was collected at discharge from appropriate patients to understand their feelings on quiet time and noise on the unit. Patient satisfaction data was analyzed, by date of discharge, for questions “Rate quietness of the hospital environment” and “Noise level in and around room.” Results: Results show decreased decibel levels during quiet time, a majority of patients stating they felt quiet time was effective and promoted a restful environment and varying patient satisfaction scores related to noise. Conclusion: Implementing quiet time on an inpatient hospital unit has a positive effect on lowering the overall noise on the unit during quiet time hours and providing patients a quiet, restful environment.