Effects of diaphragmatic breathing training on alarm fatigue and patient safety culture among ICU nurses: a quasi-experimental study

Background and aim Alarms in ICUs are a major factor in causing fatigue in nurses. This can lead to a decrease in the quality of nursing care and patient safety culture. This study aimed to investigate the effect of diaphragmatic breathing training on Alarm fatigue and patient safety culture from the perspective of intensive care unit nurses. Methods This quasi-experimental study was conducted on ICU nurses in southeastern Iran, Kerman. Eligible nurses were selected through purposive sampling and allocated to either the intervention group (n = 25) or the control group (n = 25). The intervention group received diaphragmatic breathing training for four weeks. Data were collected using the Alarm Fatigue Symptoms Scale, and Patient safety culture questionnaire at pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention. Results The findings showed that the mean score of Alarm fatigue in the intervention group decreased from 67.62 before the intervention to 51.07 after the intervention (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the mean Patient safety culture score in the intervention group increased from 129.37 before the intervention to 154.82 after the intervention (P < 0.001). Between-group comparisons indicated that the Alarm fatigue score and Patient safety culture score significantly improve in the intervention group compared to the control group (P < 0.001). Conclusion The results of this study showed that diaphragmatic breathing training can reduce alarm fatigue and increase patient safety culture in ICU nurses. Diaphragmatic breathing training is recommended as a simple, practical, and non-invasive method to maintain the mental and physical health of nurses and increase patient safety culture.