Occupational Noise in Healthcare Settings: Health Effects on Healthcare Workers and Strategies for Prevention and Management.

IF 2.2 4区医学 Q1 NURSING

Workplace Health & Safety Pub Date : 2026-06-23 DOI:10.1177/21650799261462926

Zhixuan Drew Zhu, Patricia Figura-Delia

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background: Occupational noise in healthcare settings is a persistent workplace hazard that may adversely affect nurses and other healthcare workers.

Purpose: This clinical update reviews recent evidence on hospital noise sources, associated health risks, and practical strategies for prevention and management, with emphasis on implications for occupational health nursing practice.

Methods: A narrative review of recent literature was conducted to examine occupational noise exposure in healthcare environments.

Findings: Common hospital noise sources include alarms, conversations, patient activity, and equipment. Occupational noise exposure has been linked to hearing-related effects, stress, fatigue, reduced job satisfaction, impaired concentration, and alarm fatigue. Noise-reduction approaches include monitoring, alarm management, acoustic modifications, administrative controls, and staff education, although evidence for many interventions remains limited.

Conclusions: Occupational noise exposure remains an important concern in healthcare settings and may affect worker well-being and aspects of care delivery. Occupational health nurses are well positioned to support monitoring, education, and interdisciplinary prevention efforts. More intervention research is needed to identify feasible, effective, unit-specific strategies.

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卫生保健环境中的职业噪音：对卫生保健工作者的健康影响及预防和管理策略。

背景：卫生保健环境中的职业噪声是一种持续存在的工作场所危害，可能对护士和其他卫生保健工作者产生不利影响。目的：本临床更新综述了医院噪声源、相关健康风险以及预防和管理的实用策略的最新证据，重点介绍了对职业卫生护理实践的影响。方法：对最近的文献进行叙述性回顾，以检查卫生保健环境中的职业噪声暴露。发现：常见的医院噪声源包括警报器、谈话、患者活动和设备。职业性噪声暴露与听力相关的影响、压力、疲劳、工作满意度降低、注意力不集中和警报疲劳有关。降噪方法包括监测、警报管理、声学修改、行政控制和工作人员教育，尽管许多干预措施的证据仍然有限。结论：职业性噪声暴露在医疗环境中仍然是一个重要的问题，并可能影响工人的福祉和医疗服务的各个方面。职业健康护士可以很好地支持监测、教育和跨学科预防工作。需要更多的干预研究来确定可行的、有效的、针对特定单位的策略。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Workplace Health & Safety NURSING-

CiteScore

3.70

自引率

3.80%

发文量

审稿时长

6-12 weeks

期刊介绍： Workplace Health & Safety: Promoting Environments Conducive to Well-Being and Productivity is the official publication of the American Association of Occupational Health Nursing, Inc. (AAOHN). It is a scientific peer-reviewed Journal. Its purpose is to support and promote the practice of occupational and environmental health nurses by providing leading edge research findings and evidence-based clinical practices. It publishes articles that span the range of issues facing occupational and environmental health professionals, including emergency and all-hazard preparedness, health promotion, safety, productivity, environmental health, case management, workers'' compensation, business and leadership, compliance and information management.