Alarm fatigue mitigation through nurse empowerment: a pre-post intervention study in two intensive care units

TL;DR

A study found that giving nurses control over alarm settings in ICUs improved alarm response and nurse confidence, suggesting a need for national guidelines.

Contribution

This study demonstrates the impact of nurse empowerment on alarm fatigue mitigation through a pre-post intervention in ICUs.

Findings

Alarm response rates increased slightly in the pediatric ICU but remained unchanged in the adult ICU.

90% of pediatric ICU nurses and 75% of adult ICU nurses reported increased confidence in setting alarm thresholds.

Nursing staff showed greater awareness of alarm fatigue and improved trust in alarm systems.

Abstract

Alarm fatigue in intensive care units (ICUs) is a pressing issue that jeopardizes patient safety and staff well-being. In Israel, although hospitals are permitted to determine who sets alarm thresholds, most have historically assigned this authority exclusively to physicians. This stems from the absence of national policy and institutional reluctance, driven by risk management and physician resistance to transfer clinical responsibilities to nurses, limiting timely responses to patient needs.

This was a prospective pre-post intervention study using multiple data sources, including structured observations and staff surveys, conducted in pediatric and adult general ICUs at Assuta Ashdod University Hospital. The intervention involved transferring alarm threshold-setting authority for bedside monitor alarms from physicians to nursing staff, supported by a comprehensive training program. Evaluation included structured observations of alarm events (435 pre- and 288 post-intervention), staff surveys (n = 33 pre, n = 24 post), and feedback on the implementation process.

The primary outcome, alarm response rate—defined as the proportion of monitor alarms that elicited any observable staff reaction—increased slightly in the pediatric ICU, from 65 to 69%, and remained unchanged (50%) in the adult ICU. Notably, 90% of nurses in the pediatric ICU and 75% in the adult ICU reported increased confidence in setting alarm thresholds independently. Additionally, nursing staff expressed greater awareness of alarm fatigue and improved trust in alarm systems.

Empowering nursing staff by delegating alarm threshold authority resulted in enhanced alarm management and increased self-efficacy among nurses, though outcomes varied between units. These findings highlight the need for national guidelines to support this delegation while considering the unique characteristics of each ICU.

Not applicable.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12912-025-03613-9.

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