Determining Factors of Alarm Fatigue among Nurses in Intensive Care Units—A Polish Pilot Study

Abstract

Introduction: With the development of medical technology, clinical alarms from various medical devices, which are rapidly increasing, are becoming a new problem in intensive care units. The aim of this study was to evaluate alarm fatigue in Polish nurses employed in Intensive Care Units and identify the factors associated with alarm fatigue. Methods: A cross-sectional study. The study used the nurses’ alarm fatigue questionnaire by Torabizadeh. The study covered 400 Intensive Care Unit nurses. The data were collected from February to June 2021. Results: The overall mean score of alarm fatigue was 25.8 ± 5.8. Participation in training programs related to the use of monitoring devices available in the ward, both regularly (ß = −0.21) and once (ß = −0.17), negatively correlated with nurses’ alarm fatigue. On the other hand, alarm fatigue was positively associated with 12 h shifts [vs. 8 h shifts and 24 h shifts] (ß = 0.11) and employment in Intensive Cardiac Surveillance Units—including Cardiac Surgery [vs. other Intensive Care Units] (ß = 0.10). Conclusion: Monitoring device alarms constitute a significant burden on Polish Intensive Care Unit nurses, in particular those who do not take part in training on the operation of monitoring devices available in their ward. It is necessary to improve Intensive Care Unit personnel’s awareness of the consequences of overburdening and alarm fatigue, as well as to identify fatigue-related factors.

Levels and Factors of Nurses’ Alarm Fatigue in Critical Care Settings in Saudi Arabia: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study

“…On the other hand, the higher scores among nurses with regular morning shifts could be attributed to their work overload because such shifts are frequently the busiest of the day in critical care units. According to Lewandowska et al 5 and Nyarko et al 11 more experienced nurses who work regular morning hours are more vulnerable to alarm fatigue, resulting in missed alarms and medical errors that cause patient deaths, increased clinical stress and burnout. In this case, managers can intervene by establishing a culture of safety in which nurses feel free to express their alarm fatigue concerns.…”

“…Personality-related factors, including nursing personality qualities and demographic factors, may influence alarm fatigue. 5 , 11 For instance, being single, holding a high-level post, working long hours, having a high professional title, and having a high degree of education were found to be adversely associated with alarm fatigue. 31 To ensure patient safety and avoid nurse burnout, it is imperative to manage alarm fatigue in critical care units by considering both work-related and personality-related factors.…”

“… 2–4 However, these devices may produce large numbers of alarms that can lead to sensory exhaustion for the nurses during their work, interrupt them and affect their responses to alarms, a condition known as alarm fatigue. 5 Alarm fatigue occurs when medical professionals are overexposed to alerts, it can cause sensory overload and lead to missed and desensitized alarms. 6 It may negatively affect the nurses’ quality of care as well as the patient safety.…”

“…Another study has shown that appeared that nurses’ alarm fatigue was negatively correlated with their participation in ward monitoring device training programs and positively correlated with working 12-hour shifts (as opposed to 8-hour and 24-hour shifts) and working in Intensive Cardiac Surveillance Units (as opposed to other ICUs). 5 In addition, sociodemographic and work- related characteristics such as gender, education level, job position, years of experience, and duty shift were considered as a risk factors. 21 However, determination the level of the alarm fatigue among nurses and the factors affecting its level could help in the increasing the health policy managers’ awareness to manage this problem.…”