Abstract
Objectives To understand the status quo and related influencing factors of machine alarm fatigue
of hemodialysis nurses in tertiary hospitals in Liaoning Province.
Methods This cross-sectional study employed convenience sampling to select 460 nurses from
29 tertiary hospitals in Liaoning Province, who are involved in hemodialysis care.
Surveys were conducted using the General Information Questionnaire, Alarm Fatigue
Scale, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index, and Maslach
Burnout Inventory Scale.
Results The overall machine alarm fatigue score for 460 hemodialysis nurses from 29 tertiary
hospitals in Liaoning Province was 17.04 ± 3.21, indicating a moderate level. The
multiple linear regression analysis shows that years of experience in hemodialysis
nursing, the number of patients managed per shift, whether specialized nursing training
has been received, self-reported health status, emotional exhaustion, and workload
have statistically significant associations with alarm fatigue among hemodialysis
nurses (p < 0.05). Among them, the years of experience in hemodialysis nursing are negatively
correlated with alarm fatigue among hemodialysis nurses, whereas the number of patients
managed per shift and workload are positively correlated with alarm fatigue among
hemodialysis nurses.
Conclusion This study indicates that certain demographic factors, workload, and occupational
burnout are associated with machine alarm fatigue among hemodialysis nurses. Therefore,
hemodialysis-related managers should establish a Machine Alarm Management System,
implement Personalized Thresholds and Delayed Alarms, ensure reasonable staffing arrangements,
improve compassion fatigue, and enhance anticipatory care. Our findings have implications
for improving the health and well-being of hemodialysis nurses, providing a conducive
environment for professional training in hemodialysis, and ultimately addressing the
current situation of machine alarm fatigue among hemodialysis nurses.
Keywords
machine alarm fatigue - hemodialysis - nurses - workload - occupational burnout
