Purpose: This study aimed to examine alarm fatigue, sleep disturbance, and burnout among intensive care unit(ICU) nurses and to explore relationships among these variables.
Methods: A descriptive correlational study was conducted with 123 ICU nurses ...
Purpose: This study aimed to examine alarm fatigue, sleep disturbance, and burnout among intensive care unit(ICU) nurses and to explore relationships among these variables.
Methods: A descriptive correlational study was conducted with 123 ICU nurses working at university and general hospitals in South Korea. Data were collected online from July 25 to October 1, 2025. Alarm fatigue was assessed with the A nurses' alarm fatigue questionnaire, sleep disturbance was assessed with the Insomnia Severity Index, and burnout was assessed with the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, χ²-test and Pearson’s correlation using SPSS 26.0.
Results: The mean score for alarm fatigue was 2.12 ± 0.40, indicating a moderate level. Sleep disturbance was distributed as follows; 30.1% of participants in normal range, 44.7% in mild, 21.1% in moderate, and 4.1% in severe. Burnout was also at a moderate level (2.89 ± 0.43). Alarm fatigue differed significantly according to the level of sleep disturbance and it also showed a significant positive correlation with burnout.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that alarm fatigue is an important factor related to nurses’ sleep-related characteristics and psychological strain, suggesting the importance of addressing alarm fatigue itself. Further studies are required to explore multidimensional approaches for reducing alarm fatigue in intensive care settings.