Bed alarms don't work and won't reduce patient falls

[herring_RN, ASN, BSN]

The blog: http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2013/01/bed-alarms-work-reduce-patient-falls.html

The study: https://annals.org/article.aspx?articleID=1392191

[martymoose, BSN, RN]

No , they just serve to let us know that pt has fallen. But, heaven forbid that alarm is off- they YOU will be fully responsible for that fall:no:

[Blackcat99]

No, they just cause bedsores. Patients are afraid to move and turn around in bed. If they move and turn around in bed the bed alarm will sound.

[buytheshoes11, MSN, RN]

We switched from the physical alarm unit that is on the patient's bed (usually the strip) to beds that have the alarms built in with three different sensitivities. These are so much better, in my opinion.

As for our unit's falls, I think bed alarms have helped. The night staff is really good about quickly responding to an alarm going off; whether or not it's that person's assigned patient.