Which Theatre Sound Follows You Home? Rank Your Top Three
Operating theatre sounds are the part of the job that nobody puts in a position description, and everybody remembers.
A 2024 study in the ANZ Journal of Surgery measured the noise made by common surgical instruments. The average levels ran from 62.9 to 89.3 decibels. Two instruments went over the recommended exposure limit of 85 decibels: a dermatome at 85.7 and a Frazier sucker at 85.1.
That is a gap of 0.7 decibels over the limit for the dermatome (85.7 minus 85) and 0.1 for the sucker (85.1 minus 85). Small numbers. A very large number of hours.
I have never worked in theatre, so I rely on you to teach me. This week I would like to hear about the sounds.
This week's question
Which theatre sound follows you home? Rank your top three from this list:
The suction.
The tone from the monitor.
The diathermy buzz.
An instrument tray being set down.
The theatre doors.
The phone ringing in the middle of a case.
Put your top three in order in the comments on LinkedIn or Facebook. If your sound is not on the list, add it. I would like to know what the list is missing.
Three things I would like you to teach me
First, is there a sound that tells you something is wrong before you see it? I am not asking for clinical detail. I am asking what the team notices.
Second, is there a sound you only notice when it stops?
Third, what is the first sound you hear when you walk out of work and into the car park?
A note on how I will use your answers
I will only share replies that really exist, only with your permission, and without names or hospitals unless you say otherwise. Next week I will bring back a round-up of what you tell me.
This is a light read. For anything about noise exposure in your own workplace, follow your facility's policy and health and safety advice.
Why sound is a good place to start
Every theatre has its own soundtrack. Anyone who has walked into a very quiet one, or a very loud one, knows it changes how a list feels.
I am not in theatre, so I do not hear these sounds the way you do. I would like to understand which ones become background and which ones stay with you long after the shift ends.
Finish the sentence
If you would rather answer in one line, finish this one: "The sound I would remove from every theatre is..."
There are no wrong answers. Some of the best Coffee Break replies are a single word.
More from the Coffee Break
If you enjoyed this one, you may like Music in the Operating Theatre: Team Playlist or Team Quiet? and Why Is the Operating Theatre Always So Cold?. For the other side of the theatre conversation, read The Difficult Surgeon.
If you are looking for your next role, you can browse theatre nursing jobs across Australia.
Which sound is number one for you?
Planning your next perioperative career step
Our Theatre Nurse Career Playbook 2026 sets out pay, conditions and career structure across Australia and New Zealand.
If you would like a confidential conversation about your next career move, contact Paul on 0435 583 849 or email paul@carejobz.com
