Date of Graduation
12-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Degree Level
Undergraduate
Department
Nursing
Advisor/Mentor
Dr. Kelly Vowell Johnson
Committee Member
Mrs. Diana Dunbar
Abstract
Background
Current technology in hospitals has allowed alarm notification systems to become faster and more sensitive than ever, enabling nurses to be immediately notified regarding changes in a patient’s condition. These notifications provide nurses with real time information necessary to prioritize interventions and provide the best care for their patients. Though notifications play a crucial role in the nursing process, the constant sounding of repetitive, non-actionable alarms can contribute to desensitization and a reduction in response times known as alarm fatigue.
Purpose
The purpose of this review was to compile reported research examining the effect that various interventions, including education and parameter alteration techniques, have on reducing alarm fatigue in nurses. Effectiveness of interventions was based on various metrics, including reduced alarm frequency and decreased reports of alarm fatigue in participating nurses.
Method
Twenty articles were chosen to be reviewed after meeting the set parameters. Requirements included peer-reviewed status, published within the last five years, and consisting of alarm-fatigue metrics in clinical practice. Articles were also required to compare pre-intervention baselines to post-intervention results to quantify the efficacy of alarm fatigue mitigation strategies.
Results
Alarm parameter customization was discovered to be the most consistently effective in reducing non-actionable alarm rates and nurse-reported levels of alarm fatigue. Variations in sample sizes, testing strategies, metrics, and implementation of numerous concurrent interventions created inconsistent results among other alarm fatigue mitigation strategies.
Discussion
It would be valuable to conduct more extensive research on strategies to appropriately identify alarm fatigue contributors, and which interventions most effectively decrease alarm fatigue to improve patient safety and quality of care.
Keywords
Alarm fatigue; Inpatient; Mitigation
Citation
Wojick, K. R. (2025). Implications of Alarm Fatigue and Effectiveness of Mitigation Strategies in Inpatient Units: A Literature Review. The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/nursuht/232
