Music Listening as a Postanesthesia Care Unit (PACU) Nursing Intervention

A randomized comparison clinical trial will be conducted in laparoscopic radical prostatectomy patients in the Weinberg PACU at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. 50 patients will be recruited and randomly assigned by a table of random numbers to either the music listening group (n=35) or the relaxation breathing group (n=35).

Hypothesis: Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy patients who experience music listening will report decreased anxiety scores and improved pain control scores compared with patients listening to relaxation and breathing. Null Hypothesis: There will be no difference in reported anxiety scores and pain control scores between laparoscopic radical prostatectomy patients listening to music versus listening to relaxation and breathing instructions. Music listening participants who meet inclusion criteria will be consented in the PreOp Unit and asked to complete the Spielberg State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) questionnaire. Patient vital signs will be taken and patient will be invited to listen to music study iPod for 15 minutes prior to changing into a hospital gown. Intervention: The music listening group will receive the standard care and a 15 minute patient-preferred music listening selection intervention in the Prep Room and unlimited music listening selection intervention in the PACU once cognitively ready until discharge criteria met. The relaxation breathing group will receive the relaxation and breathing instructions over soft monotone music in the PACU once cognitively ready until discharge criteria met. Results: The experimental music listening group will reveal statistically significant decrease postanesthesia anxiety and pain, while lowering the blood pressure, heart rate and amount of opioids after laparoscopic radical prostatectomy surgery compared to the control group. Conclusion: The findings of the music listening intervention will provide further evidence to support the practice of music listening to decrease postanesthesia anxiety and pain, while lowering the blood pressure, heart rate and amount of opioids after laparoscopic radical prostatectomy surgery.