Reducing Noise and Alarm Burden in Adult Intensive Care Units: An Integrative Review of Interventions and Implications for Nursing Management
Wei Jun Dan Ong, Michael Camba Vidanes, Woon Hean Keenan Chong, Faheem Ahmed Khan, Patricia Leong, Lawrence Ace Matunan Azul, Adrian Ujin YapAim
To synthesise evidence on noise‐reduction and alarm‐management strategies in adult intensive care units and examine their implications for nursing management.
Background
ICU noise and alarm burden present challenges for patient rest, clinical surveillance, nursing workflow and staff experience. Intervention effectiveness and sustainability remain uncertain.
Evaluation
An integrative review guided by Whittemore and Knafl’s framework synthesised empirical, implementation and review‐level evidence identified through PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL and reference screening.
Key Issues
Interventions addressed alarm management, environmental modification, quiet‐hour practices, staff engagement and multicomponent implementation. Reported benefits varied across studies, and available evidence did not establish the superiority of bundled approaches. Direct evidence concerning workforce well‐being, nursing leadership, clinical surveillance and sustained improvement was limited.
Conclusion
Quiet ICU interventions may improve selected acoustic and alarm‐related outcomes, but their comparative effectiveness and long‐term sustainability remain uncertain.
Implications for Nursing Management
Nurse leaders may consider context‐sensitive interventions supported by alarm governance, workflow integration, staff participation and ongoing evaluation. Future studies should assess nursing workload, clinical surveillance, patient safety and sustainability alongside acoustic outcomes.