Background: A continuous and high frequency of alarms from monitoring and treatment devices can lead to nurses’ sensory exhaustion and alarm fatigue in critical care settings. Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the level of alarm fatigue and determine the relationship between nurses’ sociodemographic and work-related factors and the level of alarm fatigue in critical care settings in Hail City, Saudi Arabia. Methods: Between May and July 2023, 298 nurses who worked in the emergency, intensive care, and critical care units of all the public hospitals in Hail City participated in a cross-sectional survey. Sociodemographic and work-related sheet and the Nurses’ Alarm Fatigue Questionnaire were used to collect data. Results: The total mean score of alarm fatigue was 26.38± 8.30 out of 44. The highest score was observed for the item “I pay more attention to the alarms in certain”, while the lowest score were observed for the items “I turn off the alarms at the beginning of every shift” with mean scores of 2.51 and 1.61, respectively. Nurses who were males, older than 30 years and Saudi citizens had significantly higher mean scores of alarm fatigue than their counterparts. In addition, significantly higher mean scores of alarm fatigue were noticed for nurses experienced for 10 years or more and who had regular morning shifts. Multiple linear regression showed that male (p=0.014), age (p=0.012), and Saudi nationality (p < 0.029) were the independent factors affecting the level of fatigue alarm among nurses. Conclusion: Nurses working in critical care settings at hospitals in Hail city are exposed to average levels of alarm fatigue, which can be influenced by sex, age, nationality, and experience of nurses. Therefore, it is imperative to manage alarm fatigue in critical care units by considering work-related and personality-related factors to ensure patient safety.

Background: Critical care nurses frequently experience high levels of technostress due to the increasing demands of healthcare technology, which contributes to burnout. Emotional intelligence has been shown to buffer stress in demanding environments, potentially mitigating burnout. However, its mediating role in the relationship between technostress and burnout among critical care nurses remains underexplored. Aim: This study aims to examine the mediating role of emotional intelligence in the relationship between technostress and burnout among critical care nurses. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 180 critical care nurses from two hospitals in Damnhour City, Egypt. Data were collected using the Technostress Questionnaire, Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), and Emotional Intelligence Scale. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypothesized relationships between technostress, emotional intelligence, and burnout, with bootstrapping employed to assess mediation. Results: Technostress was positively correlated with burnout (r = 0.56, p < 0.01), while emotional intelligence was negatively correlated with both technostress (r = -0.45, p < 0.01) and burnout (r = -0.49, p < 0.01). SEM analysis revealed that emotional intelligence significantly mediated the relationship between technostress and burnout (indirect effect = 0.23, p = 0.002), reducing burnout levels. Conclusion: Emotional intelligence plays a crucial role in mitigating the effects of technostress on burnout among critical care nurses. Targeted interventions to enhance emotional intelligence may help reduce burnout in technology-driven healthcare environments.

Background: Post‐extubation dysphagia (PED) is a common post‐extubation complication that may lead to serious problems, such as malnutrition and longer hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) stays.Aim: To explore factors associated with the readiness for oral intake in post‐extubated critically ill adult patients.Study Design: This prospective observational study involved 125 extubated patients. Readiness for oral intake was assessed using the Gugging Swallowing Screen (GUSS), and regression analysis was used to determine its predictors.Results: The median age of the participants was 40.0 years, and 51.2% were female. The median GUSS score was 12.0 (possible range, 0–20), and 35.2% of the studied patients had severe dysphagia (scored 0–9). Bivariate regression analysis showed that older age, male, higher APACHE II score, body mass index (BMI) ≥30, smoking history, longer ICU stay, muscle relaxants use, large‐bore endotracheal and orogastric tubes and frequent intubation attempts were associated with lower GUSS score (p‐value <.05). Multivariate regression analysis showed that age, BMI and smoking history predicted 37.2% of the variability in the GUSS score (F = 23.865, p‐value <.001). Adding the ICU length of stay, muscle relaxants use, size of the endotracheal tube, size of the orogastric tube and frequency of intubation attempts to the regression model raised the predictability to 86.0% (F = 88.809, p‐value <.001).Conclusions: More than one‐third of extubated patients have severe PED with a high risk of aspiration. Several modifiable factors, such as muscle relaxant use and endotracheal and orogastric tube size, predict post‐extubation readiness for oral intake.Relevance to Clinical Practice: Using endotracheal and orogastric tubes of appropriate sizes, careful assessment of patients with a high risk for difficult intubation, and minimal use of muscle relaxants may help increase patients' readiness for post‐extubation oral intake.