ASSOCIATION BETWEEN NURSES' CHARACTERISTICS AND NURSES’ RESPONSE TO CLINICAL ALARMS IN THE CRITICAL CARE UNITS AT A PRIVATE HOSPITAL IN KENYA
ASSOCIATION BETWEEN NURSES' CHARACTERISTICS AND NURSES’ RESPONSE TO CLINICAL ALARMS IN THE CRITICAL CARE UNITS AT A PRIVATE HOSPITAL IN KENYA
Alice Muthoni Ngugi - Master of Science in Critical Care Nursing, Kenyatta University, Kenya
Dr. Talaso Barako (BScN, PhD) - Lecturer and researcher, School of Health Sciences, Kenyatta University, Kenya
Lucy Meng’anyi - Lecturer, School of Health Sciences, Kenyatta University, Kenya
ABSTRACT
Clinical alarms are triggers that alert healthcare providers to changes in physiological status. However, excessive false alarms, inappropriate alarm settings, and inadequate clinical alarm management may contribute to alarm fatigue and compromise patient safety. Globally, alarm-related adverse events remain a significant concern in critical care units. This study aimed to determine the association between nurses' characteristics and nurses' response to clinical alarms in the Critical Care Units of a private tertiary hospital in Kenya. An analytical cross-sectional study was carried out among nurses working in critical care units at a private tertiary hospital in Nairobi County, Kenya. Participants were selected proportionately using stratified random sampling from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), High Dependency Unit (HDU), Coronary Care Unit (CorCU), and Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit (CT ICU). A structured self-administered questionnaire was utilized for data collection. Statistical analysis was conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize data, while chi-square tests were used to determine associations between variables. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.A total of 94 nurses participated in the study, yielding a response rate of 86%. Female nurses constituted 64.9% of participants, while 48.9% were aged between 30 and 40 years. Significant associations were found between nurses’ response to clinical alarms and gender (p = 0.027), years worked in critical care units (p = 0.014), recent clinical alarm management training (p = 0.006), and knowledge adequacy (p = 0.037). Nurses who had received alarm management training within the previous year demonstrated more appropriate alarm responses compared to those trained earlier. Nurses’ response to clinical alarms was significantly influenced by gender, recent clinical alarm management training, critical care experience, and knowledge adequacy. Regular refresher training and structured orientation programs are essential to strengthen clinical alarm management in critical care units.
