Alarm Fatigue Research Paper

1369 Words3 Pages

Introduction
Alarms sound around-the-clock in acute care settings, subjecting staff to a constant barrage of noises in the workplace. Alarms were designed to alert providers of abnormal values; unfortunately, because of the high sensitivity of these devices, there is very low specificity. Low specificity coupled with the human factor compromises patient safety. When alarms are missed or when there is a delay in response, alarm fatigue is often to blame. This paper summarizes the factors contributing to alarm fatigue, the consequences of alarm fatigue, and the evidence-based interventions used to address alarm fatigue that were found within the literature. The paper closes with the application of the Quantum Leadership theory to the implementation process for one of the recommended evidence-based interventions found within the research.
Contributing Factors …show more content…

Although nurses and other health care workers can control only a small percentage of false alarms that lead to alarm fatigue, staff can help reduce the number of these alarms and increase patient safety through the application of the aforementioned evidence-based interventions. As supported by the literature, nurse leader-managers must make addressing alarm fatigue a top priority in their units and hospitals. Alarm fatigue is a serious issue in this age of information and will only become more relevant as complex technology becomes more and more standard in an increasing number of hospitals. Without more research and new developments in alarm algorithms, alarm fatigue will continue to be a significant problem. Because medical device companies are pressured to develop products with extremely high sensitivity to reduce their own liability, this barrier is a difficult one to address (Imhoff, 2009). Despite this momentous obstacle, nurses can still advocate for better alarm management systems and for greater advancement in this area of patient

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