Decreased Stress Levels in Nurses: A Benefit of Quiet Time.

Background: The benefits of quiet time, a therapeutic method of improving the health care environment, have been evaluated in patients, but only a few studies have examined the effects of quiet time on intensive care nurses.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of implementing quiet time in a medical-surgical intensive care unit on levels of light, noise, and nurses' stress.

Methods: Quiet time consisted of turning down the unit lights for a designated time.