Nurses' Alarm Fatigue Levels in Adult Intensive Care Units and Their Strategies to Reduce Fatigue: A Convergent...

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Management
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Alarm fatigue presents a significant challenge in intensive care units (ICUs), impacting both nurses and patients.
• Current strategies for managing and reducing alarm fatigue remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the levels of alarm fatigue experienced by adult intensive care nurses.
• To identify effective strategies for reducing alarm fatigue in the ICU setting.

Main Methods:

• A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was utilized.
• Quantitative data were collected from 67 nurses using questionnaires, while qualitative data were gathered from 14 nurses via semi-structured interviews.
• Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, and Multiple Linear Regression; qualitative data underwent inductive content analysis.

Main Results:

• Higher ICU working hours and increased nurse satisfaction were associated with lower alarm fatigue.
• Qualitative findings revealed three key themes for reducing alarm fatigue: establishing an alarm management culture, ensuring a safe care environment, and improving alarm equipment.
• Ten sub-themes further detailed these strategies for mitigating alarm fatigue.

Conclusions:

• The study identified specific alarm fatigue levels and actionable strategies for adult intensive care nurses.
• Implementing these strategies in ICUs is crucial for reducing alarm fatigue and improving the work environment.