Exploring the Status and Solutions regarding Noises in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Background: The incorporation of technologies for the care of the neonate lead to increasing survival; however, this change neonatal units into very noisy environments. Concerns regarding the environmental noise issue in neonatal units and an interest in developing strategies to reduce this noise have motivated researchers to do a comprehensive qualitative study to provide an opportunity for a better understanding of the situation and help improve the current situation. Aim: This study aims to explore the status and solutions regarding noises in a neonatal intensive care unit in Turkey. Method: This was a descriptive exploratory study with a qualitative content analysis approach that was done in 2021. 18 nurses, 4 physicians, 7 staff, and 4 mothers were selected through purposeful sampling. The data were collected through two semi-structured interviews, six focus groups, six observations as well as measuring sound sources frequency by Sound Decibel Meter. Qualitative Content Analysis was used to analyze the data by MAXQDA. Results: Three main themes and seven major categories emerged through the data analysis. The themes were something like an iceberg, pan negative effects, and holistic modification. All recorded sound levels exceeded the recommended noise level of 45 decibels. 57% of sound sources were between 45-65 dB and 43% were more than 65 dB. Conclusion: Result showed that the status of NICU regarding noise is like an iceberg that negatively affected all people but only a small portion of this acoustic event is evidence and most of it is neglected. However, this situation must be approach seriously by holistic modification involving environmental modification, behavioral modification, and resources management. Action research would be one possible direction for future research.