AORN journal
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Musical interventions have been used in health care settings to reduce patient pain, anxiety, and stress, although the exact mechanism of these therapies is not well understood. This article provides a systematic review of 42 randomized controlled trials of the effects of music interventions in perioperative settings. Music intervention had positive effects on reducing patients' anxiety and pain in approximately half of the reviewed studies. Further research into music therapy is warranted in light of the low cost of implementation and the potential ability of music to reduce perioperative patient distress.
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Health care professionals are expected to make prompt, accurate decisions in life-threatening emergency situations in the OR. Perioperative leaders are faced with the challenge of ensuring that OR team members are prepared to respond to potentially lethal emergencies, including rare and infrequent events. ⋯ The use of simulation is discussed as a tool to accomplish this goal. Steps for developing a simulation scenario are presented.