Exploring the factors influencing alarm fatigue in intensive care units nurses: A cross-sectional study based on latent profile analysis

Abstract

Objective To identify potential categories of alarm fatigue among ICU nurses and to explore the differences in characteristics and influencing factors among different categories. Methods Using convenience sampling, 597 ICU nurses from 12 tertiary public hospitals across 8 cities in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China were recruited from September 2024 to December 2024. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using the General Information Questionnaire, ICU Nurses’ Alarm Fatigue Scale, Stanford Presenteeism Scale: Health Status and Employee Productivity, and Nurses’ Emotional Labor Scale. Potential profiles of nurse alarm fatigue were analyzed, and the influencing factors of different profiles were explored by univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results The median alarm fatigue scale score was 26(IQR = 19.75–31), and the alarm fatigue of ICU nurses could be categorized into low fatigue-robust tolerance group (30.8%), moderate fatigue (54.4%), and high fatigue-negative coping group (14.9%). The regression analyses showed that the number of children, the frequency of night shifts, the health status and employee productivity score, and the emotional labor score were the main factors of the ICU factors influencing different potential categories of nurse alarm fatigue (P< 0.05). Conclusion ICU nurses alarm in Inner Mongolia exhibited moderate-to-high alarm fatigue with notable subgroup heterogeneity. Nursing managers should implement tailored interventions addressing profile-specific factors, such as workload adjustments and emotional support strategies, to mitigate alarm fatigue.