...In a hospital setting, there are a plethora of noises being simultaneously heard by nurses. Although biomedical alarms measuring pulse oximetry readings, heart rate, blood pressure and EKG rhythms are the main culprits of alarms-there are also patient call bells, bed alarms, IV Pump signals, ventilator alarms, etc. Hearing such repetitive sounds for long periods of time leads professionals to become desensitized, decreasing alertness and confidence in the seriousness to respond to these alarms resulting in what is now coined “alarm fatigue” (Bridi, Thiago, Lyra de Silva, 2013). Leading the list of patient safety initiatives, Joint Commission has deemed alarm fatigue a safety concern and a top priority in healthcare settings. In January 2014,...
Words: 1016 - Pages: 5
...Monitor Alarm Fatigue: The Effect on Nursing Care Monitor Alarm Fatigue: The Effect on Nursing Care Upon entering any busy hospital one can expect to hear an unpleasant uproar of alarm sounds. Bells, beeps, and chimes are all part of the noise-polluted environment that medical staff endures every day. A study of alarms at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, revealed a total of more than “350 alarms per patient per day” (Sendelbach & Funk, 2013, p. 378). Many medical devices have alarm systems; examples of these devices are pulse oximetry machines, bedside telemetry monitors, infusion pumps, and ventilators. These devices are essential to providing safe care to patients in many health care settings. The purpose of alarms is to increase patient safety by alerting health care providers of a deviation from a predetermined normal status. By design, alarms are highly sensitive so that they do not miss an important event; however, false alarms are very common. False alarms are generated when no valid triggering event occurs. The alarm can be caused by events such as patient movement, electrodes disconnected, poor sensor placement, or broken cables. “It is estimated that between 85 and 99 percent of alarm signals do not require attention” (The Joint Commission, 2013, para. 2). Excessive false positive alarms result in alarm fatigue. Alarm fatigue is “the lack of response due to excessive numbers of alarms resulting in sensory overload and desensitization”...
Words: 1156 - Pages: 5
...Alarm Fatigue Alarm fatigue is a growing national problem within the health care industry that links medical technology as a serious hazard that poses a significant threat to patient safety within hospitals across the country. Alarm fatigue occurs when nurses encounter an overwhelming amount of alarms thus becoming desensitized to the firing alarms. Alarm desensitization is a multifaceted issue that is related to the number of alarming medical devices, a high false alarm rate, and the lack of alarm standardization in hospitals today (Cvach, 2012). Desensitization can lead to delayed response times, alarms silenced or turned off, or alarms adjusted to unsafe limits, which can create a dangerous situation for the patient. Alarm fatigue has been identified as having negative effects on patients as well as healthcare professionals. Many hospitals have reported that alarm-related injuries have occurred due to the overwhelming amount of constant sounding alarms. Critical alarms cause nurses to tune out sounds, which in turn triggers the brain to adjust to stimulation, thus causing a healthcare professional to disregard the alarms. Hospital alarms can come from an array of devices including blood pressure machines, oxygen saturation devices, sleep apnea devices, fall prevention alarms, intravenous pumps, patient-controlled analgesia pumps, patient call systems, ventilators, telephones, anti-embolism pumps, and heart monitors. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the problem...
Words: 1663 - Pages: 7
...Assignment Form Describe briefly your topic of interest (15 possible points): The area that was chosen for this assignment is alarm fatigue. Alarm fatigue has been described as the process that occurs when nurses are desensitized due to too many alarms that are sounding constantly. Often times, there is no clinical indication for alarms that are sounding. This leads nurses to make the assumption that certain alarms are not important or the alarms very simply become background noise. Alarm fatigue has become nationally recognized and is the National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) that was implemented by JCAHO for 2014. Medical alarms that are supposed to make nurses aware that something is wrong with the patient and prevent sentinel events have resulted in sentinel events. Some research has been done to show that alarms that were ignored is what led to the sentinel event occurring. I chose to research this area as I have witnessed this in the workplace over the years. I am reluctant to see what the outcomes of research on this subject will lead to and what protocol implementations will occur to meet the 2016 JCAHO deadline for this problem to be addressed. #1 Database (or collection) (30 possible points): Title of source: Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) Location of source (URL): http://www.aami.org/htsi/alarms/library.html Owner or publisher: Healthcare Technology Safety Institute (HTSI) Describe (in your own words) the research...
Words: 1346 - Pages: 6
...Combating Alarm Fatigue: A Matter of Life and Death Alarm Fatigue Nurses, especially in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), use information from a multitude of medical devices, particularly cardiac monitors, to guide them in providing care for their patients. Unfortunately, due to the frequency of unnecessary and false alarms, the devices that are meant to help nurses actually can do the opposite. Alarm fatigue can develop when a nurse is frequently exposed to an unnecessary number of alarms. "This situation can result in sensory overload, which may cause the person to become desensitized to the alarms" (Sendelbach & Jepsen, 2013. p.1). All nurses need to be aware of this important safety issue and institute practices to reduce the number of unnecessary and false alarms. History of Topic Over the last 60 years, many advances in clinical alarms and technology were put in place "to notify staff of equipment malfunctions or changes in patient condition" (Hannibal, 2011. p.418). In March 2012, a 17 year old girl sustained an anoxic brain injury and later died after the recovery room nurses failed to recognize and intervene when her respiratory condition and vital signs declined. This was because the alarms "were not properly set and was muted" ("Teen's death", 2013 p.61). "According to The Joint Commission's Sentinel Event database, hospitals voluntarily reported 80 deaths and 13 severe injuries that...
Words: 643 - Pages: 3
...Devry NR 361 All Week Discussion-Latest 2015 October (All 15 Discussions) IF You Want To Purchase A+ Work then Click The Link Below For Instant Down Load http://www.hwspeed.com/Devry-NR-361-All-Week-Discussion-Latest-2015-October-8238232214.htm?categoryId=-1 IF You Face Any Problem Then E Mail Us At JOHNMATE1122@GMAIL.COM Question week 1 Moving Data to Wisdom (graded) Reflect on the content from your readings and this week’s lesson. Then, think of a recent experience and describe how you mentally moved data through the stages of information and knowledge to wisdom. What information system(s) helped you move from data to wisdom? Keep this short like assessing a patient for congestive heart failure. How did you evaluate and combine the various pieces of data? What was the outcome of this process? diiss 2 AACN Essentials Self-Assessment Results (graded) Complete your Self-Assessment of the AACN Essentials located in Doc Sharing (Week 1). Note your total score. If you are willing, please share your total score with your classmates. Identify areas where your knowledge is lacking. Keep in mind that we are all “knowledge workers.” What areas of inquiry do you have as they relate to the essentials? week 2 Experiences with Healthcare Information Systems (graded) Share your experiences with healthcare information systems in your clinical setting. What are the pros and cons of patient care? If you are not currently working, think about your experiences...
Words: 1119 - Pages: 5
...Freidman Family Assessment Laura Jones August 22, 2011 Nur/405 Beth Edwards, MSN, FNP-BC Friedman Family Assessment A community health nurse cares for individuals and families through comprehensive and continuing care. The community health care nurse is not restricted to the care of one particular age group of population. The community health nurse encourages all participates to contribute in the education, promotion and maintenance of good health. According to Stanhope and Lancaster (2008), family nursing assessment is the cornerstone of family nursing interventions. Stanhope and Lancaster (2008), also state that by using a systemic process, family problems areas are identified and family strengths are emphasized as building blocks for interventions and to facilitate family resiliency. The following is a study using the Friedman Family Assessment. Identifying Data and Composition To protect the family’s identity the name’s address and phone number has been omitted. This family is a Caucasian English speaking dual income family. The father (JM) is a 39 year old male raised Catholic. The mother (MM) is 34 also raised Catholic. This is the first marriage for both adults. They married 5 years ago since being married the couple has had 2 children SM age 4 and CM age 2. Both parents work outside of the home and work shift work. JM travels approximately 25 miles one way to work while MM travels approximately 15 miles one way to work. MM states most days the family eats...
Words: 1405 - Pages: 6
...Michelle Purcell Ms. Williams EBP Project One of the most dangerous activities for hospital patients is the seemingly simple act of getting out of bed; it can lead to a hard fall, serious injuries and several thousands of dollars in added medical bills. Studies show that falls are most likely to happen between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. and are commonly the result of patients getting up to use the bathroom. Patient’s most at risk for falls are those who are elderly, forgetful, or possibly confused; who even if you give them instructions, may not remember. Accidental falls are the leading cause of injury and death in adults over the age of 65, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is a problem even in U.S. hospitals, which employ various means of making sure at-risk patients stay safe. Still, falls happen, and they come with a cost. • 2.3 million: Number of nonfatal fall injuries among older adults that were treated in ER. • 662,000: Number of those ER patients that were hospitalized as a result of falls. • 25 percent: Percentage of hospital falls that result in injuries. • 2 percent: Percentage of hospital falls that result in medical complications. • $4,000: Average dollar amount added to medical bills as a result of inpatient falls. (Sources: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the University of Florida Academic Health Center) The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, “requires that a healthcare facility be a safe...
Words: 877 - Pages: 4
...Running head: STRESS DISTRESS OF PARENTS OF CHILDREN ADMITTED TO This should be your name and course info Stress distress of parents of children admitted to intensive care unit This paper will examine stress experienced by parents of children who are admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). It will then identify the potential causes of stress in the PICU and nursing interventions that would reduce parental stress level in the PICU hence improving patient outcome as well as enabling parents to continue in their family roles to be effective and therapeutic to their children. Approximately 150,000 to 250,000 children are admitted to the PICU each year (Board & Ryan-Wagner, 2002). Admission to an intensive care unit usually comes with no warning, creating an uneasy situation for the families in which uncertainty, shock, helplessness, and confusion are some of the immediate responses (Lam & Beaulieu, 2004). Health care providers are often so focused on the patient who is severely ill or injured that the needs of the family are overlooked. Research has shown that having a child in the pediatric intensive care unit is a stressful experience for parents (Board, 1994; Board &Ryan-Wagner, 2002; Curley, 1988; Curley & Wallace, 1992; Miles et al., 1989). Miles, Carter, and colleagues studied 37 parents who recently had a child discharged from the PICU. Findings indicated that both mothers and fathers experience a high level...
Words: 3423 - Pages: 14
...contributes greatly in the improvement and monitoring performance all through the year. The periodic performance focuses more on the measures that has to do with patients safety and care and at same time given the facility for unremitting standards fulfillment. NCH is 100% compliance with most standards of Joint Commission in the following area; Emergency Management, Human resources, Infection Prevention and Control, Performance Improvement, Right and Responsibilities of the Individuals, Transplant Safety. During the inspection at the facility, the hospital was found to be non- compliant in this listed areas; Environment of Care, Leadership, Life Safety, universal protocol, Medication Management, Medical Staff, National Patient Safety Goals, Nursing, Record of Care, Treatment and Services, and provision of care During the PPR, the hospital was found with an increase cluster in the hallways, it is a fire hazard and a safety issue. The nurses are not familiar with verbal order procedures, using the range of orders that received and the abbreviations that are prohibited in the documents. From the trend, there are areas at which the hospital needs to implement proper education and audit. An action plan needs to be implemented by the administration to address the fallout to enable the hospital be in full compliance with Joint Commission standard. There are some discrepancies that has to be looked into and resolve to enable NCH maintain the standard compliance with the Joint Commission....
Words: 3108 - Pages: 13
...attack (Segerstrom & Miller, 2006). Because of this, less important cellular activities are reduced and the immune system is left vulnerable. When the body perceives a threat there are three phases it goes through. (Story, 2012). The first is the alarm stage, in which the sympathetic nervous system is stimulated and in response deploys the release of catecholamines and cortisol. This stage is known as the fight or flight response (Story, 2012). The body then enters the resistance phase and either adapts or alters activity to become desensitized to the stressor (Story, 2012). If the stressor overwhelms the body it becomes exhausted, which is the last phase. The immune system is suppressed more in times of greater stress (Segerstrom & Miller, 2006). A person’s effort to manage stress, such as smoking and drug use can also suppress the immune system. (Story, 2012). References: Story, Lachel. (2012). Pathophysiology: A Practical Approach. Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Learning, LLC. Segerstrom, Suzanne C. & Miller, Gregory E. (2006). Psychological Stress and the Human Immune System: A Meta-Analytic Study of 30 Years of Inquiry. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.go 2. A nursing student is working in a community clinic as a volunteer. Each time he enters the clinic she suffers bouts of sneezing and runny nose. He has a history of allergies to mold and cats. His sister has asthma. Analysis at the allergy clinic indicates he is...
Words: 947 - Pages: 4
...NIAGARA COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE THEORETICAL CARE PLAN DATE: NUR STUDENT NAME: MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS: Acute Abdominal Pain SURGICAL PROCEDURE & DATE: Hartman Procedure PATIENT'S INITIALS: AGE: 57/M ROOM #: ERICKSON'S DEVELOPMENTAL STAGE: VII generativity vs stagnation |A. Brief Description of Pathophysiology Including Signs & Symptoms: Hartman procedure-The Hartman procedure was developed by Dr. Henry Albert Hartmann in 1921 and involves the surgical resection of the | |rectosigmoid colon, closure of the rectum, and creation of a colostomy. It was initially created to improve the mortality rate of patients who had colonic adenocarcinomas but is now indicated for | |several pathologies including complicated and severe diverticulitis, rectosigmoid cancer, and in cases where a colon resection is needed but a primary anastomosis cannot be safely done. There are few | |contraindications to the procedure and is often the procedure of choice when other complicated procedures cannot be performed. Patients with hypotension, renal failure, diabetes, malnutrition, immune | |compromise, and ascites can have unfavorable performance...
Words: 2513 - Pages: 11
...URIKA, NABINA, SHIKHA COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT: ACAT Team visit Mr + Mrs Gunita BEST Support Mr + Mrs Gunita living at home PLAN OF CARE: HOW? PRIORITIES MEDICATION COMMUNITY NURSE -> Visits Mr + Mrs Guinta at home. Takes note of: MEDICATION - Regina: Thyroxine, caltrate, ginko biloba, paracetamol/panadeine, iburofen -Guiseppe: Asirin 100mg, irbesartan and HCTZ 150 mg MEDICATION DELIEVERED FROM LOCAL PHARMACY( NORTH RYDE) WEBSTER PACK -medication not regularly taken, not practical for regina as she has memory lost *daughter notes: forgetful taking less care of housekeeping and appearance, forgetting medcation. HEALTH + WELLBEING HEALTH: CURRENT + FACTORS Regina -Osteporisis: fracture(hip) -Hypothyroidism: constipation, fatigue, muscle pain, weakness, decreased taste and smell, obesity -Obesity- fall risks, diabetes, eye sight problems, di culties in moving. -Memory loss: confused, mood swings Guiseppe -High blood pressure: drowsiness, light headed, dizzy, unstready, obesity. WELLBEING Regina Cooking, church commitmets Guiseppe Gardening and walking SAFETY COMMUNITY NURSE -> Visits Mr + Mrs Guinta at home. Takes note of: EXTERIOR -GARDEN STAIRS: Concrete, pain worn out, steep and...
Words: 827 - Pages: 4
...Pain Concept Analysis Audrey Hubler Chamberlain college of Nursing NR501: Theoretical Basis for Advanced Nursing Practice Conceptual analysis is integral in understanding nursing theory. According to Walker and Avant (1995), concept analysis allows nursing scholars to examine the attributes or characteristics of a concept. It can be used to evaluate a nursing theory and allows for examination of concepts for relevance and fit within the theory. The phenomena of pain will be discussed in this paper and how it relates to the comfort theory. This paper will define the term pain and how it pertains to the comfort theory. Next, there will be discussion from relevant literature in regards to pain. Its defining attributes will be covered and then antecedents and consequences will be addressed. Examples of empirical referents will be given, as well as a model case and alternative cases. Then the discussion will conclude with a summary of the analysis findings. Definition/Explanation of Pain According to Merriam-Webster, pain is defined as “the physical feeling caused by disease, injury, or something that hurts the body; or mental, emotional suffering, or sadness caused by some emotional or mental problem.” In general, pain refers to an unpleasant, distressful and uncomfortable feeling. Studies have shown that unrelieved pain can affect the quality of life of the individual, cause physical and emotional effects, and can impact family. The comfort theory was developed...
Words: 2706 - Pages: 11
...Scope of Critical Care Nursing - Critical care nursing is subspecialties of medical surgical nursing. The reason of being of “Nursing” in any setting is the provision of holistic nursing care. - The adjective “Critical” is characterized by actual or potential crises for the recipients of nursing care – - Critical – is defined as pertaining to a crisis, involving danger or risk. - Critical care practice areas began to develop in the late 1960’s in response to:- a- Developments in medical science and technology b- Related changes in community values and attitudes. Definition: - The American Nurses’ Association defined Nursing as: - “The diagnosis and treatment of human response to actual or potential health problem. - In 1984, the American Association of Critical Care Nurses’ (AACN) defined Critical Care Nursing: - “Critical care Nursing is that specialty within nursing that deals specifically with human responses to life- threatening problems” - Analysis of these definitions reveals several important concepts. - The basis of the definition rests with the words human responses. - Critical care nurses deal with a- The total human being b- His or her response to actual and potential health problems. - This suggests that the critical care nurse is involved with prevention as well as cure. - Additionally, human response can take the form of...
Words: 2911 - Pages: 12
