Fighting bed alarm fatigue in orthopedic units

Department

Nursing

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Nursing

Abstract

IN MANY ORTHOPEDIC UNITS, almost every patient is at high risk for falling. Some facilities' protocols require patients at high risk for falling to have a bed or chair alarm in use at all times. As a result, alarms warning staff that patients are moving are sounding constantly. Despite the many alarms, however, some patients fall, sustaining serious injuries.

When too many alarms are false or clinically insignificant, nurses tend to respond more slowly, a phenomenon called alarm fatigue.1 This article explains the dangers of alarm fatigue and steps that can be taken to manage it.

First Page

66

Last Page

67

DOI

10.1097/01.NURSE.0000453007.17772.ec

Volume

44

Issue

9

Publication Date

9-1-2014

PubMed ID

25140949

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