Graduation Year
2025
Document Type
Senior Thesis
Degree
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Primary Major
Nursing
Primary Minor
Business Administration
Second Minor
Leadership Studies
Thesis Advisor
Luanne Linnard-Palmer RN, MSN, EdD, CPN
Abstract
Cooperation with patients on the autism spectrum during nursing interventions and procedures is a significant problem in the hospital. Working with patients with autism takes patience, active listening, and creativity. Although patients who are not on the spectrum also require the same level of care, patients with autism communicate and behave differently which affects the amount of time it takes to do interventions and procedures with them. This thesis will explore the types of music therapy and how it affects the patients' cooperation during nursing interventions and procedures. The main subtopics explored in this paper include; Music Therapy Benefits with Communication and Social Skills, Music Therapy Benefits for Pain, Live Music Therapy for Kids Not on the Autism Spectrum, and Healthcare Worker’s Perspective on Music Therapy. In this research proposal, 20 participants from Oakland hospitals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) will test the difference between having music therapy during nursing interventions and not. Nurses and other members of the healthcare team will then answer a questionnaire answering the cooperativeness of each patient and the outcomes.