Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to analyze the effect of noise interference on work competency, coping styles, and psychological stress among specialist nurses of central sterile supply departments (CSSDs). METHODS: A pre-post study was conducted among 108 CSSD specialist nurses from four hospitals in the authors' city between September 2023 and December 2023. Noise reduction management was not implemented from September 2023 to October 2023 but was applied from November 2023 to December 2023. Daytime noise levels in CSSDs were monitored using a digital sound level meter, and noise reduction management measures were formulated based on the monitoring results. A digital noise meter was used to measure daytime noise conditions in CSSDs, and the noise levels before and after noise reduction management were recorded. Cleaning, sterilization, and packaging qualification rates were compared before and after noise reduction management. The Simplified Coping Scale and Symptom Checklist-90 were used to evaluate the coping strategies and psychological stress levels of specialist nurses before and after noise reduction management. RESULTS: In CSSDs, noise levels decreased significantly after the implementation of noise reduction management (P < 0.05). The cleaning qualification rate (98.99%), sterilization qualification rate (98.49%), and packaging qualification rate (98.83%) after management were all higher than the corresponding rates before management (97.21%, 96.89%, and 96.07%; P < 0.05). After implementation, positive response scores increased, whereas negative response scores decreased (P < 0.05). Notably, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, interpersonal sensitivity, and total scores all decreased significantly after management compared with their premanagement values (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Noise interference can have numerous adverse effects on specialist nurses in CSSDs, making the active implementation of noise reduction management highly important.