NOISE IN THE NEONATAL UNIT: IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM AND PROPOSING SOLUTIONS

Abstract

The aim of this study was to measure the noise and to construct, together with the nursing team of a neonatal unit, strategies for reducing levels of noise produced in the work environment. This qualitative, exploratory descriptive study was carried out in October and November of 2016, in a hospital in the south of Brazil. Measurements of the noise in the neonatal unit and conversation circles were carried out with 19 nursing professionals. The data were analyzed according to the content analysis of Bardin, considering the policy of humanized care to the newborn. The noise level ranged from 53 to 75 decibels and the participants identified noise as a problem, emphasizing its detriments, highlighting its causes and proposing interventions in the environment and in the actions of the professionals. This study confirms that educational processes promote the transformation of the reality, ensuring the involvement of the team in the search for solutions to the problem.

Keywords

• Noise
• Neonatal intensive care
• Nursing care
• Newborn