The anxiety and uncertainty in the air of a surgical waiting room are palpable, not only for the patients but also for their families and caregivers. One nurse in Odense, Denmark knew of the positive effects music can have in other medical settings, but decided to try her hand at calming her patients at the Department of Emergency Medicine at Odense University Hospital where she works.
In a pilot study, she began giving her patients waiting for surgeries a pillow containing an mp3 player they could listen to while they waited. She asked them to rate their pain, relaxation, and well-being before providing the music pillow, and again thirty minutes after. Unsurprisingly, the results were clear that it had made a difference.
According to one patient,
“It made me relax and, for a moment,
I didn’t think about being here at the hospital….
For a moment, something else happened.”
It’s difficult to deny that music can take us someplace else, whether it be calming instrumental music that transports us to another place or a favorite pop song that whisks us away to another time. Harmony and Healing is here for patients of all kinds, so if you know someone having to undergo surgery soon, why not reach out to us?
Request a Musial Visit!
