Table 1.

Suggested key steps to reduce alarm fatigue on labor and delivery units

Evaluate the protocols for vital sign assessment and alarms on your unit. How do clinicians and nurses on your unit respond to vital sign alarms? How effective are the alarms on your unit at alerting clinicians and nurses to patient decompensation? Are all of your alarms necessary? Are there systems in place to identify low-risk and high-risk patients? Gauge the culture on your labor and delivery unit. Are clinicians and nurses ready to change practice? What barriers are in place that might prevent overmonitoring deimplementation? Consider what optimal vital sign monitoring might look like on your unit. How could alarms be optimized in your labor and delivery environment? How would changes in practice impact nursing workload and patient experiences?