Relationship Between Alarm Fatigue and Stress Among Acute Care Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction: Given the vital nature of their profession, ICU nurses endure significant psychological and physical stress. Burnout, low job satisfaction, and deteriorated patient care might result from the high-stress atmosphere.

Objectives: This study aims to assess the level of alarm fatigue and stress among nurses who work in acute care units.

Methods: A descriptive design was used to recruit nurses in acute care units. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the required data composed of three parts, namely demographical data; the alarm fatigue part, which was created by Torabizadeh et al. and composed of 13 items, and the perceived stress scale (PSS) which is a psychological diagnostic instrument created to assess how much people find their daily lives to be stressful. It was created by Cohen et al. and composed of 10 items.

Results: An average age of (35.3 ± 6.24) years, and an average number of years of experience of (7.63 ± 5.56), were found among the 128 nurses that were recruited. Acute care nurses had a significant degree of alarm fatigue, as indicated by the overall alarm fatigue score of (M = 30.1 ± SD = 7.47). A moderate degree of stress was also indicated by the overall perceived stress score, which was (M = 21.5 ± 5.02). Among nurses, alarm fatigue and felt stress are not correlated with any demographic feature, including sex, educational attainment, marital status, and working location.

Conclusion: Stress and alarm fatigue are serious problems for acute care units that can jeopardize nurse and patient safety. The implementation of methods that mitigate alarm fatigue and stress, such as alarm customization, adequate staffing, and support systems, can enhance the work environment in acute care units. Healthcare companies can raise the grade of care provided to patients and enhance the general well-being and job satisfaction of their nursing staff by addressing these challenges.