Nurses' and preschool teachers' experiences of taking part in a participatory intervention project in communication-intense working environments.
Kristina Gyllensten, Sofie Fredriksson, Stephen Widen and 2 others
PMID 35988249WHAT IT FOUND
Nine female staff at a preschool and an obstetrics ward reported increased awareness of noise risks and greater acceptance of hearing protection devices.
They described taking individual and shared responsibility to reduce noise, such as lowering voices and moving conversations to secluded areas. However, high workload and limited resources hindered the intervention, and psychosocial improvements were largely absent.
Key findings
01Participants reported increased awareness of noise health risks and greater acceptance of hearing protection devices (HPDs), with more colleagues using them.
02Staff described taking individual and shared responsibility to control noise, such as lowering voices, closing doors, and moving to secluded areas.
03High workload and economic limitations were major obstacles to the intervention, and few changes addressed the psychosocial work environment.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study included only nine participants, all of whom were female, reflecting the gendered nature of these workplaces but limiting generalizability. The interviewers were part of the research group that initiated the intervention, which may have influenced participants' willingness to express negative opinions. The analysis combined data from two different workplaces (preschool and obstetrics) into one sample, potentially masking workplace-specific differences. The study explored experiences of the intervention process rather than measuring objective outcomes like noise levels or hearing health.
Declared interests
The study was funded by Forte (2016-07193). The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the reported increased awareness and acceptance of hearing protection devices as evidence that the intervention successfully reduced noise levels or improved hearing health. The study explored staff experiences of the process, not clinical outcomes, and previous related research noted that subjective ratings did not always align with measured sound levels.