ABSTRACT
Purpose
Compare the perception of professionals in the nursing and administrative areas regarding noise in the emergency room.
Methods
Descriptive study with quantitative analysis. The noise perception was evaluated by means of an Adapted Questionnaire, in the form of an interview. A total of 59 professionals participated in the study, 38 from the nursing area and 21 from the administrative area. The statistical survey considered the level of significance of 0.05 (5%), through Chi-square test.
Results
The perception of noise by emergency room nursing and administration staff was considered noisy and most intense in the afternoon shift. Nursing professionals identified more the equipment noise (60.53%) and administrative workers the people noise (85.71%). The most frequently extra-auditory complaints were fatigue, stress, anxiety, nervousness and irritability. Nursing professionals are the most annoyed by noise, but administrative employees report more difficulties in performing their tasks in the face of noise.
Conclusion
There was a difference between perception of nursing and administrative area, but for both the most annoying noise is people. Implement educational prevention and awareness programs to reduce noise aimed at Emergency Room professionals.
Keywords:
Perception of noise; Occupational risks; Effects of noise; Noise; Hearing