Alarm Fatigue in ICU Nurses
Disciplines
Critical Care Nursing
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Bedside monitoring systems are mandatory and a crucial part of all hospital systems across the globe. Such monitors are installed to assist nurses and healthcare providers in monitoring the patient’s vitals by providing auditory cues. However, recent studies highlight that most alarms that ring in the ICU are non-actionable, leaving nurses exposed to a plethora of false alarms causing sensory overload, desensitization, and alarm fatigue. It is also important to note that a positive correlation exists between alarm fatigue in ICU nurses and increased risk for patient harm. Current practices do not address and evaluate alarm fatigue from all fronts. Research into alarm fatigue is only in its infancy stage, but it needs further evaluation to gather evidence-based practices that reduce alarm fatigue in ICU nurses. By initiating further research into appropriately measuring and managing alarm fatigue in ICU nurses, a better understanding of how alarm fatigue affects quality of patient care can be observed. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to introduce and implement alarm management training for onboarding ICU nurses to help decrease alarm fatigue. Methods: A single-blind study will be conducted on 50 onboarding ICU nurses; 25 nurses will make up the experimental group who will receive alarm management training during their orientation versus the control group. At the end of 3 months of orientation, both groups will be evaluated to measure the levels of alarm fatigue through an alarm fatigue metrics survey, responses to actionable vs. non-actionable alarms, and improvements in patient safety. Results: The results from this experiment will help decipher the effectiveness of implementing alarm management training during the orientation of ICU nurses and its impact on alarm fatigue in ICU nurses, improvement in patient care, and decrease the risk of patient harm.
Keywords: Alarm fatigue, ICU nurses, Alarm management, ICU alarm fatigue
Academic department under which the project should be listed
Wellstar School of Nursing
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Dr. Christie Emerson
Additional Faculty
Melissa Chason, Nursing, mchason@kennesaw.edu
Alarm Fatigue in ICU Nurses
Bedside monitoring systems are mandatory and a crucial part of all hospital systems across the globe. Such monitors are installed to assist nurses and healthcare providers in monitoring the patient’s vitals by providing auditory cues. However, recent studies highlight that most alarms that ring in the ICU are non-actionable, leaving nurses exposed to a plethora of false alarms causing sensory overload, desensitization, and alarm fatigue. It is also important to note that a positive correlation exists between alarm fatigue in ICU nurses and increased risk for patient harm. Current practices do not address and evaluate alarm fatigue from all fronts. Research into alarm fatigue is only in its infancy stage, but it needs further evaluation to gather evidence-based practices that reduce alarm fatigue in ICU nurses. By initiating further research into appropriately measuring and managing alarm fatigue in ICU nurses, a better understanding of how alarm fatigue affects quality of patient care can be observed. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to introduce and implement alarm management training for onboarding ICU nurses to help decrease alarm fatigue. Methods: A single-blind study will be conducted on 50 onboarding ICU nurses; 25 nurses will make up the experimental group who will receive alarm management training during their orientation versus the control group. At the end of 3 months of orientation, both groups will be evaluated to measure the levels of alarm fatigue through an alarm fatigue metrics survey, responses to actionable vs. non-actionable alarms, and improvements in patient safety. Results: The results from this experiment will help decipher the effectiveness of implementing alarm management training during the orientation of ICU nurses and its impact on alarm fatigue in ICU nurses, improvement in patient care, and decrease the risk of patient harm.
Keywords: Alarm fatigue, ICU nurses, Alarm management, ICU alarm fatigue