The relationship between alarm fatigue and sleep quality among intensive care nurses

This descriptive and correlational study was conducted to examine the relationship between alarm fatigue and sleep quality among intensive care nurses. The study was carried out between October 2024 and May 2025 with 115 nurses working in the intensive care units of İnönü Üniversitesi Turgut Özal Tıp Merkezi. Data were collected using a Demographic Information Form, the Alarm Fatigue Scale, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0. The mean age of the participants was 29.19±4.15 years; 53.9% were female and 60% were single. Most nurses reported not receiving training on alarm systems (82.6%), becoming desensitized to alarms (74.8%), and experiencing negative effects of alarm fatigue on sleep quality (90.4%). The mean Alarm Fatigue Scale score was 19.77±4.53, while the mean Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score was 12.50±3.08. Findings indicated moderate alarm fatigue and poor sleep quality among nurses. No significant relationship was found between alarm fatigue and sleep quality (p>0.05). However, working hours, discomfort caused by alarms, and professional motivation were associated with alarm fatigue. In conclusion, alarm fatigue and poor sleep quality were common among intensive care nurses, and working conditions and alarm burden may affect alarm fatigue.