Give an example of an ethical or legal issue that may arise if a patient has a poor outcome or sentinel
event because of a distraction such as alarm fatigue. What does evidence reveal about alarm fatigue and
distractions in healthcare when it comes to patient safety?
“Patient safety is a healthcare discipline aimed at researching, studying, and preventing medical errors
using evidence based methods. It is intended to promote safer care and minimize medical errors” (Kai,
2015).
As healthcare providers, we are put to the absolute limits with caring for those who can’t care for
themselves. Those who are having their worst day and you are the only one that can improve it.
Healthcare providers are overworked and stressed with their daily work lives whether it’s due to
understaffing, pay cuts, satisfaction surveys, patient ratios, or a distraction at home. But with all of that,
patient safety and well-being is our primary responsibility. You can’t help a patient if their safety is at
risk. We are legally responsible to keep our patients safe from harm. This means that alarms and
warnings are put in place to help us keep them safe. When these measures are ignored, safety is
compromised.
One prime example that I saw working on the floor was bed alarms. I was down the hall from my
patient. I was at least fifty feet away. The patient was right outside the nurses station where three
nurses were sitting. I heard the bed alarm and looked down the hall. Our floor was equipped with the
option of having a light outside the room that lit up with the bed alarm. This allowed me to see it was
my patient. I waited a moment thinking that the nurses closest to the room would answer the alarm
while I made my way down the hall. I was wrong. By the time I reached the room at a brisk pace, my
patient was already out of bed, pulled out her IV line, and almost pulled out her foley if she walked just
two more steps. Not to mention she was wobbling on her feet when I got there and had to help her sit
before she fell.
This could have been avoided if only one of the three nurses answered the original alarm. Of course
they came in after I yelled for help, but not before that did they even move from there spot. Sorry to say
but that was the reason I went back to the ED.
This represents a major legal issue. What if this patient fell? What if she pulled out the foley? I would
be responsible for the patient’s injury. My license would be at risk. Not to mention the injury to the
patient which could have included a broken hip or other bone or damage to her uretha from the foley.
Another example happened to me recently. A patient came in for rectal bleeding but when placed on
the monitor we noticed his heartrate was in the 40s and his potassium was high at 5.8. We treated his
hyperkalemia. I pushed the last of the “cocktail” ordered, the insulin, then turned my back to dispose of
the needle. Just as I did, the patient dropped his heartrate to 26. Thankfully I was in the room with the
doctors right outside. We all heard the alarm, looked at the monitor, and acted immediately.
Alarms are put into place to aid in patient safety. It is our job as healthcare providers to use these
warning systems to protect and treat our patients. Not to be ignored. Alarm fatigue affects us all and we
all know that 85% to 99% are false (West,2014). However, this does not mean that all alarms should not
be checked. False or not could be the difference in your patients safety and outcome.
This study source was downloaded by 100000830246019 from CourseHero.com on 06-08-2022 05:49:07 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/27610865/Week-6-Discussiondocx/
event because of a distraction such as alarm fatigue. What does evidence reveal about alarm fatigue and
distractions in healthcare when it comes to patient safety?
“Patient safety is a healthcare discipline aimed at researching, studying, and preventing medical errors
using evidence based methods. It is intended to promote safer care and minimize medical errors” (Kai,
2015).
As healthcare providers, we are put to the absolute limits with caring for those who can’t care for
themselves. Those who are having their worst day and you are the only one that can improve it.
Healthcare providers are overworked and stressed with their daily work lives whether it’s due to
understaffing, pay cuts, satisfaction surveys, patient ratios, or a distraction at home. But with all of that,
patient safety and well-being is our primary responsibility. You can’t help a patient if their safety is at
risk. We are legally responsible to keep our patients safe from harm. This means that alarms and
warnings are put in place to help us keep them safe. When these measures are ignored, safety is
compromised.
One prime example that I saw working on the floor was bed alarms. I was down the hall from my
patient. I was at least fifty feet away. The patient was right outside the nurses station where three
nurses were sitting. I heard the bed alarm and looked down the hall. Our floor was equipped with the
option of having a light outside the room that lit up with the bed alarm. This allowed me to see it was
my patient. I waited a moment thinking that the nurses closest to the room would answer the alarm
while I made my way down the hall. I was wrong. By the time I reached the room at a brisk pace, my
patient was already out of bed, pulled out her IV line, and almost pulled out her foley if she walked just
two more steps. Not to mention she was wobbling on her feet when I got there and had to help her sit
before she fell.
This could have been avoided if only one of the three nurses answered the original alarm. Of course
they came in after I yelled for help, but not before that did they even move from there spot. Sorry to say
but that was the reason I went back to the ED.
This represents a major legal issue. What if this patient fell? What if she pulled out the foley? I would
be responsible for the patient’s injury. My license would be at risk. Not to mention the injury to the
patient which could have included a broken hip or other bone or damage to her uretha from the foley.
Another example happened to me recently. A patient came in for rectal bleeding but when placed on
the monitor we noticed his heartrate was in the 40s and his potassium was high at 5.8. We treated his
hyperkalemia. I pushed the last of the “cocktail” ordered, the insulin, then turned my back to dispose of
the needle. Just as I did, the patient dropped his heartrate to 26. Thankfully I was in the room with the
doctors right outside. We all heard the alarm, looked at the monitor, and acted immediately.
Alarms are put into place to aid in patient safety. It is our job as healthcare providers to use these
warning systems to protect and treat our patients. Not to be ignored. Alarm fatigue affects us all and we
all know that 85% to 99% are false (West,2014). However, this does not mean that all alarms should not
be checked. False or not could be the difference in your patients safety and outcome.
This study source was downloaded by 100000830246019 from CourseHero.com on 06-08-2022 05:49:07 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/27610865/Week-6-Discussiondocx/
