Best practices in alarm management are hard to define, as alarm settings that work effectively in one clinical department and one typical patient population are not appropriate for others.
This has been a challenge for Chief Nursing Officers, department leaders and quality managers. There is a clear need to lead change for better alarm management, but with no clear, evidence-based best practice, it is not easy to know how to begin tackling the problem.
While strategies need to be adjusted for the unique conditions of each hospital or unit, there are simple steps you can take based on those who are leading the way.
