• Emine Kol, Perihan Aydın, and Oguz Dursun.
• Faculty of Nursing, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey.
• J Spec Pediatr Nurs. 2015 Jul 1; 20 (3): 210-7.

PurposeNoise is a substantial problem for both patients and healthcare workers in hospitals. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of environmental strategies (creating single-patient rooms and reducing noise sources) in noise reduction in a pediatric intensive care unit.Design And MethodsNoise measurement in the unit was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, measurements aimed at determining the unit's present level of noise were performed over 4 weeks in December 2013. During the month following the first measurement phase, the intensive care unit (ICU) was moved to a new location and noise-reducing strategies were implemented. The second phase, in May 2014, measured noise levels in the newly constructed environment.ResultsThe noise levels before and after environmental changes were statistically significant at 72.6 dB-A and 56 dB-A, respectively (p < .05).Practice ImplicationsSingle-patient rooms and noise-reducing strategies can be effective in controlling environmental noise in the ICU.© 2015, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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