The effect of familiar voices on levels of agitation in patients admitted to intensive care units

Background and objectives: Control of agitation in intensive care units is of paramount importance. Moreover, providing and maintaining patient safety is considered as one of the significant responsibilities assumed by nurses. To this end, one of the non-pharmacological methods to control agitation and improve patient safety is to make use of familiar voices. Thus, the present study aimed to "investigate the effect of familiar voices on levels of agitation in patients admitted to intensive care units". Materials and methods: In this quasi-experimental research, the study population was chosen from intensive care units within selected hospitals affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in the city of Tehran in 2017, Iran. To this end, 60 patients were divided into two groups: experimental and control. As well, the data collection instruments included a demographic characteristics form and Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS). The data analysis was also conducted via descriptive statistics and inferential ones including t-test, Chi-square test, and logistic model for ranking data using the SPSS Software (Version 21). Results: The findings revealed that the mean age of the patients in the experimental group was 57.40 +/- 12.713 years and that was 49.90 +/- 11.099 years for the patients in the control group. The average hospital stay among patients assigned to the experimental group was also 9.66 +/- 3.61 days and that was 8.20 +/- 3.37 days for the control group patients. Besides, the results of the logistic model for ranking data showed that the distribution of agitation scores on the first and the second days after the implementation of familiar voices in the experimental group had decreased both in the morning and in the evening and also only in the evening of the third day of the intervention (p<0.001). Conclusion: It was concluded that familiar voices could have a positive effect on moderating levels of agitation in patients admitted to intensive care units; thus, medial staff were recommended to use this non-invasive approach in intensive care units.