Effect of music on ambulatory surgery patients' preoperative anxiety

AORN Journal, April, 1996 by Penny Augustin, Anthony A. Hains

Our results suggest that preoperative teaching in itself adequately reduces most patients, preoperative anxiety. Listening to self-selected music also reduces preoperative anxiety and appears to be more beneficial than preoperative teaching alone. Perioperative nurses can offer the music-listening option to patients who believe music is a method of relaxation.

According to the studies cited previously, reducing patients, preoperative anxiety may enhance their perioperative relaxation and promote positive postoperative outcomes. Music effectively reduces patients, anxiety in a variety of health care settings, and its use in ambulatory surgery settings is a timely application.

Perioperative nurses should remember that not every individual considers listening to music a relaxing experience. Some patients may feel more comfortable watching television, reading, knitting, or talking with friends or family members while they await surgery. In this study, we did not ask the patients how they usually perceive and use music. Some of the patients wanted to be aware of everything going on around them, and they did not want to be distracted by listening to music. Another point to consider is that patients in the control group may have used other relaxation methods that could have contributed to the observed decreases in their physiological variables.

Other limitations of the study include

* using a small sample size,

* not accounting for the impact that the presence of friends or family members may have had on patients,

* not controlling for types of surgical procedures, and

* not including patients of various ethnic backgrounds.

A larger sample size would have increased the accuracy of the results. Some patients were alone while waiting for surgery, others had one or more people in their rooms. Patients, vital signs could have been affected by variables such as movement, conversation, or room temperature. Although all the scheduled surgical procedures were considered minor, the implications of some procedures keg, breast biopsy) could have increased patients, anxiety. Finally, patients from other ethnic groups may have responded differently to or had different opinions about listening to music.

This study acknowledges the importance of preoperative instruction in reducing patients, preoperative anxiety. The study results indicate that perioperative nurses can offer music as an intervention to further decrease preoperative patients, anxiety. Familiar music can affect patients, hospitalization experiences and have a positive effect on their physiological responses to surgery. Music blocks out background noise and may inhibit patients, ability to engage in negative self-talk or magnify the significance of undergoing surgery.

As ambulatory surgery becomes more common, perioperative nurses are challenged to use new, individualized interventions to reduce patients, preoperative anxiety. During preoperative interviews, perioperative nurses can suggest that patients bring their favorite music selections when they come for surgery. Perioperative nurses also may stock a selection of taped music in ambulatory surgery units for patients who do not bring their own music selections.