Abstract

This literature review investigates nursing interventions to reduce decibel levels in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The secondary purpose of this review was to evaluate if the interventions to reduce noise in the NICU had different outcomes for normal weight premature infants and infants afflicted with neonatal abstinence syndrome. The data bases for completing this review were Google Scholar, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL Plus), PubMed, and Elton B. Stephens Co. (EBSCO). The key search words included ‘NICU and decibels', ‘reducing decibels', ‘neonatal abstinence syndrome' ‘decibels', ‘preterm infants' and 'normal weight preterm infant*'. The inclusion criteria were research articles from 2008 to 2020, articles with a focus on normal weight premature infants and normal weight infants determined to be addicted to a recreational or illicit substance after birth. The results yielded 8 articles meeting inclusion criteria and screened for relevance to the topic. Data indicated there is a need for further research into using multiple interventions. One intervention alone can currently not reduce decibel levels to the recommended level.

Conclusions: Currently the research states private rooms reduce decibel levels the most out of the other intervention listed in the study. Further research with long-term neuro-cognitive data collection over a longer period of time and larger sample sizes is needed to evaluate the use of interventions to reduce high level, decibel noise found in the NICU.

Thesis Completion

2021

Semester

Spring

Thesis Chair/Advisor

D'Amato-Kubiet, Leslee

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.)

College

College of Nursing

Department

Nursing

Degree Program

Nursing

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Release Date

5-1-2021

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