ABSTRACT
Background: A continuous and high frequency of alarms from monitoring and treatment devices can lead to nurses' sensory exhaustion and alarm fatigue in critical care settings. Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the level of alarm fatigue and determine the relationship between nurses' sociodemographic and work-related factors and the level of alarm fatigue in critical care settings in Hail City, Saudi Arabia. Methods: Between May and July 2023, 298 nurses who worked in the emergency, intensive care, and critical care units of all the public hospitals in Hail City participated in a cross-sectional survey. Sociodemographic and work-related sheet and the Nurses' Alarm Fatigue Questionnaire were used to collect data. Results: The total mean score of alarm fatigue was 26.38±8.30 out of 44. The highest score was observed for the item "I pay more attention to the alarms in certain", while the lowest score were observed for the items "I turn off the alarms at the beginning of every shift" with mean scores of 2.51 and 1.61, respectively. Nurses who were males, older than 30 years and Saudi citizens had significantly higher mean scores of alarm fatigue than their counterparts. In addition, significantly higher mean scores of alarm fatigue were noticed for nurses experienced for 10 years or more and who had regular morning shifts. Multiple linear regression showed that male (p=0.014), age (p=0.012), and Saudi nationality (p <0.029) were the independent factors affecting the level of fatigue alarm among nurses. Conclusion: Nurses working in critical care settings at hospitals in Hail city are exposed to average levels of alarm fatigue, which can be influenced by sex, age, nationality, and experience of nurses. Therefore, it is imperative to manage alarm fatigue in critical care units by considering work-related and personality-related factors to ensure patient safety.
ABSTRACT
Background Hospital staff, especially nurses, face violence of various forms in the workplace. This study aimed to assess the burden of verbal/physical abuse against nurses and their attitude towards such events in Buraidah, Saudi Arabia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among nurses working in three public sectors and two private sector hospitals, and five primary healthcare facilities in Buraidah. Data was collected using a structured online questionnaire, disseminated among nurses through nursing departments of participating facilities. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21.0. Results A total of 369 nurses participated in the survey, with a mean age of 34 (±6.9) years. About two-thirds, 68% (250) of respondents, had experienced at least one verbal/physical abuse incident during one year. The most common perpetrators were patients (44.4%). Sixteen percent of participants reported taking no action against the incident. Those working in private facilities were 80% less likely to experience abuse than those in public facilities, adjusted OR 0.20 (95% CI: 0.08-0.47). Conclusions There was a high burden of verbal/physical abuse against nurses, and they, therefore, suffer from disturbing memories. However, a little more than half do not officially report it to the managers, with only a small fraction seeing some action taken. Occupational health practitioners should take action to improve the policy and procedures related to workplace violence (WPV) in healthcare facilities. Further research is needed to characterize incidents to understand the patterns and develop interventions for the prevention of such events.
