The impact of nature sounds on job stress, satisfaction, and productivity among Emergency Department staff

Abstract

Background: Healthcare workers often contend with elevated levels of job stress, impacting their well-being and performance. Aim: This study investigated the short-term effects of listening to nature sounds on job stress and productivity among healthcare workers within a hospital setting. Methods: The research was a pretest-posttest study involving a university hospital's emergency department (ED) staff. A sample size formula was employed to establish inclusion and exclusion criteria. Three questionnaires-assessing job stress (Philip L. Rice), job satisfaction (Herzberg), and productivity (ACHIEVE)-were utilized for data collection. Nature sound was played for an hour at the commencement and conclusion of each work shift for two months. Subsequently, participants completed the three questionnaires. The collected data underwent analysis using SPSS-20 software. Shapiro-Wilk's test assessed variable normality, and the paired t-test compared variables pre and post-intervention, with significance set at p, 0.05. Results: Introducing nature sounds in the emergency department reduced job stress and increased staff productivity. However, job satisfaction levels did not change significantly. Music therapy notably influenced the three dimensions of job stress, physical conditions, and job interest. Moreover, all productivity dimensions, except one, showed significant changes under the influence of music therapy. Conclusion: Nature sounds exhibit preventive and therapeutic benefits for people's psychological and physical well-being. As a non-invasive and safe treatment modality, it can be employed as a complementary therapy in emergency departments (EDs) and busy medical wards to help uplift people's spirits, particularly during periods of stress or anxiety.