Alarm Fatigue: Use of an Evidence-Based Alarm Management Strategy

J Nurs Care Qual. 2017 Jan/Mar;32(1):47-54. doi: 10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000223.

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to describe the impact of an evidence-based alarm management strategy on patient safety. An alarm management program reduced alarms up to 30%. Evaluation of patients on continuous cardiac monitoring showed a 3.5% decrease in census. This alarm management strategy has the potential to save $136 500 and 841 hours of registered nurses' time per year. No patient harm occurred during the 2-year project.

MeSH terms

  • Attitude of Health Personnel*
  • Auditory Fatigue*
  • Clinical Alarms / statistics & numerical data*
  • Evidence-Based Nursing / methods
  • Humans
  • Monitoring, Physiologic / adverse effects*
  • Patient Safety / standards
  • Program Evaluation / methods