Implementing a Unit-Based Alarm Management Bundle for Critical Care Nurses

Activity Summary

Required reading for all learners: Implicit Bias impacts patient outcomes

The Joint Commission’s 2022 goal of improving clinical alarm safety remains a top priority nationwide. Alarms may interrupt a patient’s healing process, but they can also induce a crippling condition among nurses known as alarm fatigue. Alarm fatigue occurs when clinicians are exposed to an overwhelming number of alarms, particularly non-actionable alarms, and thereby become desensitized to them. This article describes a quality improvement project which was implemented to reduce alarm fatigues and improve nursing practice in managing alarms.

Objectives

Describe the significant impact clinical alarms have on the healing process, alarm fatigue and desensitization, and patient outcomes.
Discuss how use of an evidence-based alarm management bundle contributes to decreased alarm fatigue and improved management practices.
List alarm management competencies enhanced through in-service training.

Continuing Education Disclosure Statement

Successful Completion

Learners must complete the entire activity and the associated evaluation to be awarded contact hours AND read Implicit Bias impacts patient outcomes. No partial credit will be awarded.

Accreditation

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.
Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider number CEP 1036, for {contactHours} contact hours.

Disclosures

Any relevant relationship between an ineligible company and an individual with the ability to influence clinical content will be identified by the Nurse Planner within the activity. Any relevant relationship between an ineligible company and an individual with the ability to influence clinical content has been mitigated.

Accreditation refers to recognition of continuing education only and does not imply AACN, ANCC, or CBRN approval or endorsement of any commercial products discussed or displayed in conjunction with this educational activity. Activities with pharmacology hours are to assist the APRN in fulfilling the pharmacotherapeutic education requirements for licensure and certification renewals.

Activities meet the standards for most states that require mandatory continuing education for license and/or certification renewal. AACN recommends consulting with your own state board of nursing or credentialing organization before submitting your certificate of completion.

Refund Policy

Continuing Education Activities are nonrefundable.