DO YOU HEAR THAT? SHHH…! REDUCING ALARM FATIGUE TO IMPROVE PATIENT SAFETY.

POSTER PRESENTATIONS

Objective. The aim of this project is to implement interventions to reduce alarm fatigue in the hospital environment. Background. Alarms in the hospital settings may create a false sense of security. Advancement in healthcare technology generate devices producing valuable information with the intent to serve as warning signs for the bedside clinician. The overwhelming amount of devices in clinical areas compiled with alarm triggers that require no action can create a noisy environment in which clinicians become disengaged to alarm alerts. The Joint Commission hospital national patient safety goal for 2016 calls for the improvement of the clinical alarm system to reduce patient harm. Methods. The review of 895 articles relating to alarms in clinical settings were appraised, and the interventions focused on the reduction of alarm fatigue were chosen for implementation in the hospital. Results. The review of the evidence-based literature has provided suggestions for interventions. The most feasible interventions for reduction or elimination of alarm fatigue were proposed for the hospitalwide initiative. The project provides education for the nursing staff and formation of interdisciplinary committees to establish protocols for alarms management. Conclusion. A project highlighted possible critical events caused by alarm fatigue and offered initiatives to reduce alarm fatigue. The alarm management requires a collaborative approach between clinicians, biomedical engineers, device manufacturers, and hospitals. The nursing staff can provide substantial feedback to improve clinical alarm system. This project entails further research to evaluate current initiatives and plan future research Grants. There is no current funding.