Disciplines
Critical Care Nursing | Geriatric Nursing | Perioperative, Operating Room and Surgical Nursing | Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing
Abstract (300 words maximum)
With exponential technological advances, hospitals are tasked with prioritizing which expensive innovations truly impact as many patients as possible to give them the greatest chance of recovering and discharge them earlier. It is no surprise that most of the attention is focussed on pharmaceutical drugs and a variety of different equipment and machinery, but hospital facilities should look into simpler additions that can aid every patient admitted. The use of naturalistic blue-wavelength lighting is something that can benefit each patient’s recovery immensely. Multiple studies have proven positive effects that blue-depleted lighting compared to standard indoor fluorescent lighting has lowered stress and agitation in patients with bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder, and depression. Circadian rhythm plays a huge role in recovery and restfulness patients feel in the hospital and is often interrupted with lighting, noise, and different healthcare professionals entering their room at random. Studies have also shown the improvements that naturalistic lighting has on the circadian rhythm in patients with traumatic brain injuries or who have suffered strokes. The purpose of this research is to prove that naturalistic diurnal lighting is beneficial for all patients regardless of their diagnosis. Data will be obtained by performing daily morning questionnaires assessing how rested the client feels and motion detection devices in patient beds to determine activity levels throughout the night. Patients will also be grouped based on their diagnosis and compared to the average discharge time of other previous patients with the same diagnosis. The experimental ward will have blue-lighting systems installed behind and on the periphery of the bed. All results will be compared to results from a control ward in the same hospital. In conclusion, the outcomes of this study will hopefully show a substantial amount of evidence to prompt hospitals to install naturalistic lighting in patient’s rooms.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
WCHHS-Nursing
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Alyson Epp
Additional Faculty
Christie Emerson, WCHHS-Nursing and cemerson@kennesaw.edu
Included in
Critical Care Nursing Commons, Geriatric Nursing Commons, Perioperative, Operating Room and Surgical Nursing Commons, Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Commons
Uncovering the Benefits of Naturalistic Blue-Depleted Lighting in Hospitals: A Qualitative Study
With exponential technological advances, hospitals are tasked with prioritizing which expensive innovations truly impact as many patients as possible to give them the greatest chance of recovering and discharge them earlier. It is no surprise that most of the attention is focussed on pharmaceutical drugs and a variety of different equipment and machinery, but hospital facilities should look into simpler additions that can aid every patient admitted. The use of naturalistic blue-wavelength lighting is something that can benefit each patient’s recovery immensely. Multiple studies have proven positive effects that blue-depleted lighting compared to standard indoor fluorescent lighting has lowered stress and agitation in patients with bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder, and depression. Circadian rhythm plays a huge role in recovery and restfulness patients feel in the hospital and is often interrupted with lighting, noise, and different healthcare professionals entering their room at random. Studies have also shown the improvements that naturalistic lighting has on the circadian rhythm in patients with traumatic brain injuries or who have suffered strokes. The purpose of this research is to prove that naturalistic diurnal lighting is beneficial for all patients regardless of their diagnosis. Data will be obtained by performing daily morning questionnaires assessing how rested the client feels and motion detection devices in patient beds to determine activity levels throughout the night. Patients will also be grouped based on their diagnosis and compared to the average discharge time of other previous patients with the same diagnosis. The experimental ward will have blue-lighting systems installed behind and on the periphery of the bed. All results will be compared to results from a control ward in the same hospital. In conclusion, the outcomes of this study will hopefully show a substantial amount of evidence to prompt hospitals to install naturalistic lighting in patient’s rooms.