Surgical ICU improves alarm management practices

A surgical intensive care unit improved clinical alarm management practices and reduced nurses’ self-reported alarm fatigue, a study found. Published in the April issue of Critical Care Nurse, the study shows how researchers implemented an evidence-based, nurse-driven, standardized approach to alarm management and improved nurses’ knowledge for configuring the settings to match better the monitoring needs of individual patients. Nurses reported the setting alarm parameters were less complex, they were more sensitive to alarms and responded quickly, and they were less likely to miss alarms. In 2022, the Joint Commission set a goal of improving clinical alarm safety, which remains a top priority nationwide (Newswire release, 3/28/23)