Abstract

Clinical alarms are designed to signal an unsatisfactory patient physiological state, alert staff to malfunctioning medical equipment or systems, and warn the operator of potential hazards to the patient. While alarms interrupt the patients healing process, alarms also induce a crippling fatigue among nurses, known as alarm fatigue. The concept of alarm fatigue and clinical alarm management competency remains a common problem among nurses who work in the acute care setting. In the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) at a teaching hospital in Northeast Florida, alarm fatigue, consistent alarm management skills, and competency surrounding the use of the Philips physiologic monitoring systems were noted to be a problem among nurses working in the SICU. The goal of the DNP quality improvement project was to improve nursing competency associated with alarm management skills and decrease alarm fatigue through the implementation of an evidence-based alarm management bundle, called the CEASE bundle. A pre-and post-intervention HTF clinical alarms survey was distributed to 115 full-time nurses to gather their perceptions of alarm fatigue and management. Overall, nurse participants demonstrated improved alarm management competency, which resulted in significant improvements in their perceptions of alarm functionality, settings, response, and policy adherence. There was a statistically significant decrease in self-reported alarm fatigue post project intervention, and the CEASE bundle was found to be influential to nursing practice.

Stephanie Bosma

Author Details

Stephanie Bosma, DNP, FNP

Sigma Membership

Non-member

Type

DNP Capstone Project

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Quality Improvement

Research Approach

Translational Research/Evidence-based Practice

Keywords:

Clinical Alarm Fatigue, Alarm Management Competency, Alarm Management Skills, Alarm Management Bundle

Advisors

Christopher, Roberta||De Tantillo, Lila

Advisor

Roberta Christopher

Second Advisor

Lila de Tantillo

Degree

DNP

Degree Grantor

Jacksonville University

Degree Year

2022

Rights Holder

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All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.

All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

Faculty Approved: Degree-based Submission

Acquisition

Self-submission

Date of Issue

2022-04-25

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