Music Advocacy Facts

A research study published in the International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship (Vol 1, Issue 1, 2004) found that group Recreational Music-making significantly reduced burnout, improved mood states, and corresponded with a reduction in dropout rates among first-year nursing students.

"It demonstrated a 28.1 percent reduction in Total Mood Disturbance (a standard research index) that correlated with a six-session program of facilitated musical participation for 75 first-year nursing students at Allegany College of Maryland.

An independent research firm projected that the average nursing school could retain two more students per year by employing the Recreational Music-making protocol. This translates to a $16,800 annual savings for the typical 105-student program and $29.1 million a year for all U.S. nursing schools, resulting in more than $29 saved for every dollar invested.

It has been established that nursing turnover costs the average 280-nurse acute care hospital $3.8 million annually. This program could potentially help these facilities retain seven more nurses each year, for an average annual savings of $322,000 per hospital or more than $1.5 billion for the entire healthcare industry - yielding $564 in savings for every dollar invested."