Associate dean for EDI and DNP student publish article in AJN about using person-centered care in music therapy interventions.
Yvette Conyers, DNP, RN, FNP-C, CTN-B, CFCN, CFCS, CNE, FADLN, assistant professor and associate dean for equity, diversity, and inclusion, and Hoora Zargar, MS '19, RN, DNP student, published an article, "The Power of Music and Inclusivity at the Bedside," in the July 2024 issue of "AJN, the American Journal of Nursing."
Music and culture are thought to be interconnected. When a music therapist doesn't consider a patient's ethnicity and background when choosing music, the patient might perceive the music as noise or a nuisance, causing anxiety, increases in blood pressure and heart rate, and decreases in patient satisfaction. Music choice could also indirectly affect patient outcomes. If the patient is not in agreement with the music selection, for example, there could be a delay in their expected response. Moreover, stereotyping, such as assuming that a Hispanic patient prefers norteño or a Black patient prefers hip-hop, could result in a negative patient–provider relationship. Nurses should use person-centered care in determining the genre selection of music therapy when working with patients or their families.