Alarm Fatigue in the Intensive Care Unit (Essay Sample)

Alarm Fatigue in the Intensive Care Unit: Literature Review
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Abstract
Alarm fatigue in ICUs is an increasing health problem, and interventions to reduce alarm fatigue are vital to patient safety. The literature illustrates several issues that contribute to alarm fatigue. These include the complexity of alarm configuration, programming errors, and alarm systems management. Due to the extent of risk these issues pose, the literature also examines the various interventions of reducing alarm fatigue in ICUs. Hospital management should understand the implications of alarm fatigue in ICUs and establish alarm system safety. There should be policies and procedures for managing the specified alarms according to their importance. Clarity about the personnel responsible for setting and changing the alarm parameters and settings is vital. Importantly, education in healthcare settings is crucial in keeping health care workers up-to-date with procedures. Gaps in the literature include the relation between the number of caregivers in ICUs and the frequency of alarm fatigue, and the major outcomes of alarm fatigue in the ICUs.
Keywords: alarm fatigue, alarm configuration, ICUs, programming errors
Alarm Fatigue in the Intensive Care Unit: Literature Review
Exploration of the Problem
When a patient visits a hospital for treatment, there is hope that the care provided will keep them safe. The proverb of the boy who cried wolf is analogous to the emerging problem of alarm fatigue, which occurs when clinical alarms are excess to the extent of overwhelming medical staff (Winters et al., 2018). With each false alarm, the sensitivity of the receptiveness of staff decreases and results in delayed responses, which can ultimately be detrimental for patients requiring assistance. The increase in medical technology has greatly improved the capability of the care that can be provided but has also introduced more alarms. These alarms are incorporated into many medical devices to alert practitioners of the need to intervene. 
The intensive care unit [ICU] is where critically ill and unstable patients are cared for. Patients in the ICU require a higher level of close observation as an immediate response towards their changing condition is required. Failure to react quickly risks patient safety (Casey et al., 2018). The excessive use of alarms, however, has resulted in alarm fatigue. The undue use of alarms devalues the need to respond, which is counterintuitive to their central purpose (Winters et al., 2018). Alarm fatigue presents a challenging problem in an environment where alarms are vital to patient safety but can also be detrimental when too frequent and false. This paper evaluates the current literature related to alarm fatigue and synthesizes interventions identified in the literature to reduce alarm fatigue. The review is based on the precept that alarm fatigue in the ICU is an increasing problem, and interventions to reduce alarm fatigue are of vital importance to patient safety. This literature review is intended for Canadian Journal of Critical Care Nursing CCJCN.
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Relevance to Practice
Patient safety is critical in healthcare and is the priority of healthcare providers. It is undeniable the connection between patient safety and the issue of alarm fatigue. A strong aspect of patient safety is attached to the idea of prevention of patient harm. As Luk et al. (2015) noted, patient safety implies that the system of care delivery should emphasize practices that prevent errors and does everything possible to promote a culture of safety that addresses the needs of patients, healthcare professionals, and organizations. However, alarm fatigue violates this principle of patient safety. In the ICUs, the use of alarms is one way of promoting patient safety. Since they are expected to draw medical staff’s attention when a patient requires some response, it is right to conclude that they should be free from defects and alert staff when patients need urgent help (McFarlane et al., 2018). By reviewing what various items of literature deduce about alarm fatigue, the concept would be more lucid while looking at it from different dimensions. The main dimension is to understand its genesis. There must be some alarm-related issues that trigger and intensify alarm fatigue. While examining this area, the gaps in the use of alarms in ICUs that minimize their efficiency and cause staff discomfort will be vivid. Similarly, the review is instrumental in elucidating the adverse impacts of alarm fatigue. A summary of the adverse effects justifies the need for practical interventions that can reduce burnout and stress that make health care workers somewhat inefficient in their roles’ dispensation.
ICUs are critical care centers where responses during a danger should be instant. Nurses can readily respond to patient needs when alarms alert them (McFarlane et al., 2018). Alarms are integrated into a wide range of devices, including ventilators, monitors, beds, and vital sign machines. Their value makes them a significant part of care delivery since they enhance patient outcomes. Given this, the only practical way of dealing with alarm fatigue is the standardized prevention of their impacts. The preventive mechanisms that health care facilities implement should support the appropriate use