Alarm Fatigue

What is alarm fatigue? The warning alarms on some equipment are set to be extremely sensitive.  This can trigger a lot of “false alarms.”  Healthcare workers get so used to hearing the alarms—and to finding nothing wrong—that they start to tune them out.   Instead of triggering an urgent response from the nurse, the alarms become part of the background noise at work.

HOW CAN YOU KEEP YOUR CLIENTS ON MEDICAL MACHINES SAFE?

  • Respond to every alarm—even if the client involved is not assigned to you.  It takes less time to respond to an alarm than it does to deal with the aftermath of a serious incident.
  • Never use a medical machine that you know is beyond your training—no matter who asks you to do it!
  • Remember that machines can’t take the place of good old-fashioned observation.  Keep a close eye on your clients and report any changes.
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