ArticleBMC nursing2026
Beyond alarm fatigue: nurses' experiences of behavioral nudge fatigue in digital clinical environments.
Article in BMC nursing, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Exploring needs and priorities in digital health management for rare disease patients and their caregivers: A mixed-methods study.PLOS digital health · 2026Article
- Nursing staff experiences of participating in digital therapeutic product development: a qualitative study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Exploring alarm fatigue among clinical nurses through a human factors engineering framework: a descriptive qualitative study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundDigital health technologies such as electronic health records, clinical decision support systems, and reminder mechanisms are increasingly integrated into nursing practice to enhance patient safety and support clinical decision-making. While these systems function as behavioral nudges intended to guide clinical actions, sustained exposure to frequent alerts and reminders may generate unintended cognitive and emotional consequences for nurses. Although alarm fatigue has been widely studied, broader experiences related to continuous digital nudging in nursing practice remain underexplored.
methodsThis study employed a qualitative descriptive design to explore the experiences of nurses providing direct patient care in surgical and internal medicine units with digital clinical alerts and reminder systems. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nurses working in medical, surgical, and intensive care units of a university hospital. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke’s framework.
resultsFive main themes were identified: (1) perceived clinical value of digital alert systems, (2) alert fatigue and cognitive burden, (3) alarm fatigue and perceived clinical risk, (4) professional experience, autonomy, and job satisfaction, and (5) expectations for system improvement. While participants acknowledged the role of alerts in supporting patient safety and workflow organization, they also reported cognitive overload, emotional exhaustion, desensitization, and concerns about reduced professional autonomy associated with persistent digital prompting.
conclusionThe findings highlight behavioral nudge fatigue as a broader extension of alarm fatigue, capturing the cumulative cognitive, emotional, and professional impact of sustained digital nudging in nursing practice. Addressing behavioral nudge fatigue through human-centered system design and greater involvement of nurses in alert governance may support both nurse well-being and patient safety in increasingly digitalized healthcare environments.
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