A lot of sound can be heard in a hospital. The Ministry of Environment recommends\nthat noise be kept below 50 dBA during the day and below 40 dBA\nat night to maintain a calm environment inside a medical facility. However,\nthe noise in general wards typically exceeds these standards; therefore, it is\nnecessary to adjust these sounds to foster patientsâ?? recuperation. We examined\nwhether the noise generated by nurses in a simulated ward changes\nwith walking speed and the presence or absence of luggage. Sounds generated\nby nurses include footsteps and pass-by sound from objects (e.g., wagon,\nstretchers, wheelchairs, bedside tables, overhead tables, beds, IV\npoles.). Walking speed was classified into three types: slow (0.5 m/s), normal\n(1 m/s), and fast (2 m/s). Sound (dBA) was measured by measuring the\npass-by sound generated when moving in a straight distance (four meters)\nin the corridor of a simulated ward. Objects were also compared for their\npass-by sound generated with and without a load. Results revealed that\nnormal and fast walking speeds generated louder sounds than did the slow\nspeed (the volume of slow, normal, and fast speeds were 37.0 dBA, 39.3\ndBA, and 38.7 dBA, respectively). The pass-by sound of objects increased in\nvolume in proportion to nursesâ?? walking speed. The pass-by sound of wagons\nand stretchers was significantly lower when they had (vs. did not have)\na load; however, the reverse was true for wheelchairs carrying patient\ndummies. The sound of footsteps did not change per walking speed. Decreasing\nwalking speed may thus lead to noise modification. Nursesâ??\nawareness of adjusting their walking speed per object use may prevent noise\npollution. This study was conducted to obtain basic data regarding the\nwardsâ?? sound environment. Future studies should consider the occurrence of\nthe sound in clinical settings.
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