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All quiet on the hospital ward

Hospitals are bustling hives of noisy activity. There’s an endless parade of visitors, the constant ringing of phones and pagers, loud intercom messages, carts rattling by in the hallways—not exactly the most relaxing environment in which to recover. But some hospital officials are involved in a movement to change that by instituting “quiet time” (usually for an hour or two a day) when doors to one particular unit (and sometimes patients’ rooms) are shut, signs asking for silence are posted, lights are dimmed and all unnecessary intercom announcements, rounds and maintenance activities cease. Some units also pipe soft, soothing music through the halls.

“When you’re healing and when you’re sick, you need rest—and hospitals are just too noisy,” says Tracy Jacobs, director of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, a non-profit group in Boston, Massachusetts, that supports hospital innovation. Quiet time, she explains, is simply a rare opportunity for patients.

Some hospitals purchase a “yacker tracker,” which looks like a stop light and monitors noise levels, signalling “red” when things get too loud. This helps staff realize that even simple tasks, such as shutting a door, can generate noise.

At Montefiore Medical Center in New York City, a quiet-time program aims to reduce ambient noise by asking staff members to put phones and pagers on vibrate, minimize hallway conversations and turn down the intercom volume. Also, IV poles and medication carts are lubed so they don’t squeak when wheeled through the halls.

Stacy Morast, the nurse manager of Unit 43 at the University of Kansas Hospital, the first unit to try out the daily quiet hour, says patient response has been positive. “Patients mention how much they value quiet time in their discharge satisfaction surveys, as well as their verbal feedback,” she explains, adding that the staff loves quiet time too. They use the hour to catch up on paperwork—and take a well-deserved lunch break.