Changes in default alarm settings and standard in-service are insufficient to improve alarm fatigue in an intensive care unit: a pilot project.

Sowan AK, Gomez TM, Tarriela AF, Reed CC, Paper BM. JMIR Hum Factors. 2016;3:e1.

In 2014, The Joint Commission added improving the safety of alarm systems as a National Patient Safety Goal. This study describes a quality improvement project to implement a change in default alarm settings and provide nursing education in a 20-bed transplant and cardiac intensive care unit. Although the alarm rate per patient day decreased from approximately 88 to 59 alerts, nursing attitudes toward alarms and maintaining best clinical practices did not change.