The effects of environmental factors in waiting rooms on anxiety among patients undergoing coronary angiography: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: According to Florence Nightingale's hypothesis, the environment can play a central role in the healing of the patient's body and mind. The nurse should, therefore, strive to provide a healing and stress-reducing environment for patients about to undergo invasive procedures.

AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the effects of environmental factors on anxiety as experienced by patients in waiting rooms prior to coronary angiography.

METHODS: In this randomized controlled trial, 200 patients undergoing coronary angiography in an urban area of Iran were assigned randomly to the following intervention groups: (1) nature sounds; (2) nature sounds and daylight; (3) nature sounds, daylight, and colour enhancements; and (4) control. Portable monitors were used to measure the patients' physiological indices upon admission and 30 and 60 minutes thereafter.

RESULTS: Patients who experienced environmental affecting interventions had significantly lower physiological indices of anxiety than the control group (P < 0.001). Some significance was demonstrated between the three interventions groups, with patients in the intervention group that experienced maximum environmental interventions demonstrating the most overall reduction in anxiety indices.

CONCLUSION: Environmental factors were shown to have a positive effect on the indices of anxiety experienced by patients waiting for the procedure of coronary angiography; this is therefore an area of study and practice worthy of further development.