Ambient music in the emergency services: the professionals' perception.

Due to the assistant characteristic of the emergency service, the health professional experiences countless situations that generate anxiety. This study aimed to learn the professionals' perception about the presence of classical music in the working environment. The sample was composed of 49 professionals of the adult emergency department of a medium sized private hospital. The data were collected through a questionnaire to evaluate the professional's perception. The results showed that 78% of the professionals noticed alteration in the atmosphere when the music was present, 41% believed that the music altered their personal performance; 85% believed it altered their performance in a positive way and 15% in a negative way. Regarding the musical repertoire, 61% of the individuals affirmed they enjoyed the selection, 96% believed that the ambient music should be kept, while 76% of the interviewees suggested other musical genres.

Rev Lat Am Enfermagem. 2007 May-Jun;15(3):377-83. Gatti MF, da Silva MJ. Adult Emergency Medical Services, Hospital Samaritano, and University of São Paulo, College of Nursing, Brazil. maria.gatti@samaritano.com.br