Music therapy: decreasing anxiety in the ventilated patient: a review of the literature.

Author: Davis T, Jones P.
Affiliation: Theresa Davis, MSN, ACNP-BC, CCRN, is a nurse practitioner, Medical Intensive Care Unit, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Pamela Jones, MSN, ACNP-BC, is a trauma nurse practitioner at Reading Hospital and Medical Center, Reading Pennsylvania.
Conference/Journal: Dimens Crit Care Nurs.
Date published: 2012 May
Other: Volume ID: 31 , Issue ID: 3 , Pages: 159-66 , Word Count: 58



Increased anxiety levels are a common problem for mechanically ventilated patients. Heightened anxiety and lack of effective treatment options result in negative patient outcomes. Music therapy has been documented as an effective nursing intervention to manage anxiety in ventilator-dependent patients. Seven studies examining the effectiveness of music therapy in ventilator-dependent patients are reviewed in this literature review.
PMID: 22475701