NR 361 Week 6
Student Name
Chamberlain University
NR-361: RN Information Systems in Healthcare
Prof. Name:
Date
NR 361 Week 6
Distractions in the healthcare setting are prevalent and can significantly impact patient care. These distractions may include cellphones, alarms sounding for various reasons, overhead paging, monitors beeping, and staff interruptions. Alarm fatigue, in particular, poses a critical challenge. Alarm fatigue occurs when healthcare professionals become desensitized to frequent alarms, potentially leading to delayed responses or ignoring alarms altogether. This phenomenon can result in ethical and legal issues if a patient experiences a poor outcome or sentinel event due to a distraction like alarm fatigue.
The nursing code of ethics underscores the responsibility of nurses to protect the health, safety, and rights of patients. As Lachman (2006) explains, “The nurse promotes, advocates for, and strives to protect the health, safety, and rights of the patient” (Appendix). Ignoring alarms due to alarm fatigue can result in patient harm and may be viewed as negligence. Negligence, as defined by Critical Care Nurse (2003), is “the doing of something which a reasonably prudent person would not do, or the failure to do something which a reasonably prudent person would do, under circumstances similar to those shown by the evidence” (p. 72). Alarm fatigue has been linked to sentinel events and patient deaths, with the FDA reporting 566 deaths related to monitoring alarms between 2005 and 2008 (American Journal of Critical Care, 2014, p. e10).
Recognizing the seriousness of alarm fatigue, the Joint Commission implemented a National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) in 2016 to address alarm management (Funk, Clark, Bauld, Ott, & Coss, 2014, p. e18). This initiative emphasizes the importance of hospitals establishing policies and procedures to prioritize alarm safety. Alarm management is not only a professional obligation but also a vital measure to safeguard patient outcomes and reduce legal and ethical risks.
NR 361 Week 6
| Aspect | Description | References |
|---|---|---|
| Distractions in Healthcare | Distractions such as cellphones, alarms, overhead paging, and staff interruptions can affect patient safety. Alarm fatigue, a specific type of distraction, involves desensitization to frequent alarms, leading to delayed or ignored responses. | Lachman (2006); American Journal of Critical Care (2014). |
| Ethical and Legal Implications | Alarm fatigue can lead to poor patient outcomes, including sentinel events. The nursing code of ethics requires nurses to advocate for patient safety. Negligence is defined as failing to use ordinary care, which may occur when alarms are ignored. | Critical Care Nurse (2003); Lachman (2006). |
| Safety Initiatives | The Joint Commission implemented a National Patient Safety Goal in 2016 to address alarm management. Hospitals are encouraged to prioritize alarm safety through policies and procedures. | Funk, Clark, Bauld, Ott, & Coss (2014); The Joint Commission (2015). |
References
Ashley, R. C. (2003). Understanding Negligence. Critical Care Nurse, 23(5), 72-73.
Funk, M., Clark, J. T., Bauld, T. J., Ott, J. C., & Coss, P. (2014). Attitudes and Practices Related to Clinical Alarms. American Journal of Critical Care, 23(3), e9-e18. https://doi.org/10.4037/ajcc2014315
Lachman, V. D. (2006). Applied Ethics in Nursing. New York: Springer Publishing Company.
The Joint Commission. (2015). National Patient Safety Goals Effective January 1, 2016. Retrieved November 30, 2016, from https://www.jointcommission.org/assets/1/6/2016_NPSG_HAP.pdf
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