Experiences and perceptions of music therapy in critical illness.
OBJECTIVE
To gain insight into patients' and nurses' perception of the benefits of music therapy during critical illness.


METHODS
The patients received music therapy on two prescribed occasions for 30 minutes each day. Unstructured interviews were conducted with five patients and four nurses and analysed according to Burnard's framework (1991).


RESULTS
Patients can and do recall listening to music, even when they have been sedated and ventilated. They related to the music that they were listening to and some experienced imagery concerning the music. The nurses found it useful as an aid to wean patients off the ventilator, helping to keep them calm and focused.


CONCLUSIONS
The study concluded that music is useful not only for relaxing patients but also in some cases 'relocating' them from the critical care area to the place where they would normally be listening to the music.
Stubbs
Tina
T
Homerton University Hospital, London.
D016638:Critical Illness / Q000451:nursing*; D006801:Humans; D009147:Music Therapy; D015300:Ventilator Weaning