Nurses' perception regarding the introduction of music on a cardiac unit in Malta

Abstract

In Malta the application of music in the cardiac units is lacking when compared with other hospitals elsewhere who have acknowledged the importance of integrating music in the clinical settings. Music is a cost-effective intervention and is very safe to use as it does not have any adverse reactions. The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore Maltese nurses' perceptions regarding the application of music in a cardiac unit. The opinion of the Maltese nurses' regarding what type of music they deemed fit to use on their unit was sought. The study also explored the nurses' interest in acquiring further knowledge in this field and whether they believed that music could be practised alongside with conventional treatment. It also identified what could hinder the application of music in the Maltese setting and what could be done to overcome these problems. For the purpose of this study, music is going to be classified as a complementary therapy. A random sample of thirty qualified nurses working on four different cardiac units at St.Luke' s Hospital, were surveyed through a self-administered questionnaire. The nurses who participated in this descriptive study had at least five years of experience on the cardiac units. The four units which were identified for this study were the CTS (cardio-thoracic surgery unit), CCU (coronary care unit), CICU (coronary intensive care unit) and Cath Lab (cardiac catheterization lab). Data analysis revealed that the majority of nurses perceived music as beneficial. They also perceived that classical, soft slow pop music and music according to patients' preference were regarded as suited to promote the patients' recovery. Moreover, more than half of the nurses considered that music should be part of the nursing care and agreed that it could be integrated with conventional treatment. Furthermore, the majority of nurses showed interest in gaining additional knowledge regarding the use of such a modality in the clinical setting. Therefore, educational programmes need to be developed to increase Maltese nurses' knowledge on the subject.