• 임상간호연구
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• 제17권3호
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• pp.319-328
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• 2011

Purpose: This study was done to identify nursing interventions clinically applicable to relieve displeasure and anxiety of patients having an operation in which loud noise was unavoidable. Methods: Participants were 34 patients scheduled to have a total knee replacement. They were assigned to either the control (17 patients) or experimental (17 patients) group. Data were collected from September to November 2010. The instruments used for the survey included noise-control earplugs, a noise level meter (TES-1358) and a structured scale measuring degree of noise perception, displeasure and anxiety. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, standard deviation, $x^2$-test, and t-test with the SPSS WIN 18.0 program. Results: Hypothesis 1: 'The displeasure levels of the experimental group of patients wearing earplugs will be lower than the control group patients without earplugs' was accepted (t=-20.769, p<.001). Hypothesis 2: 'The anxiety levels of the experimental group of patients wearing earplugs will be lower than the control group patients without earplugs' was accepted (t=-6.298, p<.001). Conclusion: Based on these findings, the wearing of earplugs for patients having a surgical operation with loud noises is recommended as an effective nursing intervention to relieve patient displeasure and anxiety during their surgical operations.