Acceptability to nurses of reducing NICU light and noise levels during skin-to-skin care: A pilot study

Abstract

Introduction: Light and noise levels may influence preterm infants and their mothers when they are experiencing skin-to-skin contact [SSC] in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit [NICU].

Methods: A pilot randomized controlled trial [RCT] of an intervention aiming at reducing light and noise levels during SSC was conducted. Twenty-one neonatal nurses from a level III NICU completed questionnaires assessing their acceptability of NICU light and noise levels reduction during SSC, whether it interfered with their care delivery, in addition to acceptability of specific interventions reducing these levels.

Findings: The majority of nurses considered that the reduction of NICU light and noise levels during SSC was acceptable in general, did not interfere with their care delivery, and that the nine selected interventions were also acceptable.

Conclusion and research implications: Nurses found it acceptable to reduce NICU light and noise levels during SSC. These findings support the conduct of a full-scale RCT to evaluate the effect of such an intervention on preterm infants and mothers' well-being.

Keywords: Interventions; Light; NICU environment; Neonatal nurses; Noise; Pilot RCT; SSC.