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Alarm FatigueENCOPERNCT07568158

Intraoperative Cognitive Load in Anesthesia Nurses Across Anesthetic Phases

An observational study of Alarm Fatigue and Perioperative, run by Hospital Clinic of Barcelona at 1 site in Spain.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

The goal of this observational study is to measure the cognitive load (mental effort) of anesthesia nurses during real surgical procedures at Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Spain. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Alarm Fatigue, Perioperative, Patient Safety
What is being tested?
NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX)
Type of treatment
Injection or infusion
How many people
50 participants
Where
1 siteSpain
Study dates
1 Jun 2026to 28 Feb 2027
How long will I take part?
8 Months
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Study population: Registered nurse anesthetists actively working at Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, a university tertiary care hospital, assigned to the following operating rooms: main surgical block, ambulatory surgery unit (CMA), interventional radiology suite (RIO), DIVAS intraoperative radiotherapy unit, and transplant operating room.

Who may be able to join

  • Registered nurse anesthetist actively working at Hospital Clínic de Barcelona.
  • Minimum 3 months in the current anesthesia nursing position.
  • Voluntary participation with signed informed consent.
  • Scheduled surgery (including deferred urgent surgery) or solid organ transplantation.
  • General anesthesia (endotracheal intubation or laryngeal mask airway) or spinal anesthesia with sedation.
  • Minimum duration of 30 minutes.

Who cannot join

  • Refusal to participate or withdrawal of informed consent.
  • Spinal anesthesia without sedation.
  • Exclusive regional anesthesia without sedation.
  • Sedation alone without regional technique.
  • Duration less than 30 minutes.
  • Cases involving an unexpected intraoperative emergency requiring urgent additional personnel.
  • Cases started under spinal anesthesia converted to general anesthesia for any clinical or technical reason.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Victor Caro-Frechilla, RN, MSc contact

+34 633809919

vcaro@clinic.cat

Spain1 site, 1 recruiting
  • Hospital Clínic de Barcelona

    Barcelona, Catalonia, 08036

    Victor Caro-Frechilla, RN, MSc, +34 633809919, vcaro@clinic.cat

    Victor Caro-Frechilla, RN, MSc

    Recruiting

Other trials in Spain

About this study

Official title: Carga Cognitiva Intraoperatoria Del Enfermero/a de Anestesia Según la Fase Del Acto Anestésico: Estudio Observacional Con NASA-TLX

The goal of this observational study is to measure the cognitive load (mental effort) of anesthesia nurses during real surgical procedures at Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Spain. The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • Does cognitive load vary across the three phases of anesthetic care (induction, maintenance, and emergence/recovery)?
  • Is cognitive load higher during general anesthesia than during spinal anesthesia with sedation?
  • How do surgical specialty and patient complexity relate to cognitive load?
  • How does monitor alarm perception relate to cognitive load during surgery?

Participants (anesthesia nurses) will complete the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) questionnaire - a validated 6-item tool measuring mental effort - three times per surgical case: after induction or spinal block, during maintenance, and after patient awakening or sedation reversal. They will also answer 4 brief questions about alarm management at the end of each case. No changes are made to clinical care. Participation adds approximately 11 minutes per surgical case.

Read the detailed description

Anesthesia nurses manage up to 72 tasks per hour during surgical procedures, including vital sign monitoring, drug administration, airway management, alarm response, and surgical team coordination. Despite this high workload, the cognitive load of anesthesia nurses has received little scientific attention. Most studies focus on simulation rather than real clinical settings.

This prospective observational study uses the Raw NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) to quantify subjective cognitive load in anesthesia nurses across three phases of anesthetic care (T1: post-induction/spinal block; T2: maintenance; T3: extubation/wake up), comparing general anesthesia (endotracheal intubation or laryngeal mask) versus spinal anesthesia with sedation. Additionally, an exploratory module examines nurses' perception and management of monitor alarms and its association with cognitive load.

This is the first European study to measure cognitive load in anesthesia nurses using a validated instrument in a real surgical setting.

Being tested
NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX)
Keywords
NASA-TLX, Anesthesia Nursing, Perioperative Nursing, Mental Workload, Intraoperative, Patient Safety, Monitor Alarms, Operating Room
Medical subject headings
Alert Fatigue, Health Personnel

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX)Other

    The Raw NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) is a validated self-report questionnaire measuring subjective cognitive load across six dimensions: mental demand, physical demand, temporal demand, performance, effort, and frustration (scale 0-100). Administered three times per surgical case (T1, T2, T3) by the participating anesthesia nurse. Additionally, four questions about monitor alarm perception and management are completed after T3.

Study groups in NCT07568158
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
General Anesthesia (GA)Anesthesia nurses managing surgical cases under general anesthesia (endotracheal intubation or laryngeal mask airway). Cognitive load measured at three phases: post-induction (T1), maintenance (T2), and post-extubation (T3).
Receives: Other: NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX)
Spinal Anesthesia with SedationAnesthesia nurses managing surgical cases under spinal anesthesia combined with intravenous sedation. Cognitive load measured at three phases: post-spinal block and sedation initiation (T1), maintenance (T2), and end of sedation (T3).
Receives: Other: NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX)

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Global Raw NASA-TLX Score

    Subjective cognitive load measured using the Raw NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX), calculated as the arithmetic mean of six subscales (mental demand, physical demand, temporal demand, performance, effort, and frustration), each rated on a 0-100 scale. Administered three times per surgical case: after induction or spinal block (T1), during maintenance (T2), and after extubation or end of sedation (T3). Study duration: approximately 8 months.

    Measured: At three time points per surgical case: T1 (5 minutes post-induction/spinal block), T2 (during maintenance, before surgical closure), and T3 (5 minutes after extubation/end of sedation ).

Secondary outcomes (2)
  1. NASA-TLX Subscale Scores

    Individual scores for each of the six NASA-TLX subscales (mental demand, physical demand, temporal demand, performance, effort, and frustration), each rated on a 0-100 scale, to identify which dimensions of cognitive load predominate at each anesthetic phase.

    Measured: Assessed at three intraoperative time points per surgical case: 5 minutes post-induction or post-spinal block, during maintenance before surgical closure, and 5 minutes post-extubation or end of sedation, over approximately 8 months of data collection.

  2. Monitor Alarm Perception Visual Analog Scale (VAS)

    Exploratory measure of nurses' perceived alarm burden during each surgical case, rated on a visual analog scale from 0 (not at all) to 100 (extremely). Assessed after patient awakening or sedation reversal. Used to explore the association between alarm perception and cognitive load (NASA-TLX score).

    Measured: Assessed once per surgical case, immediately after patient awakening or sedation reversal, over approximately 8 months of data collection.

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted5 May 2026
  2. Study start1 Jun 2026
  3. Primary completion28 Feb 2027 (estimated)
  4. Study completion28 Feb 2027 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
50 participants (estimated)
Target duration
8 Months
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07568158
Sponsor's protocol ID
ENCOPER-HCB-2026-001
Acronym
ENCOPER
Status last verified
May 2026
First submitted
28 Apr 2026
Last updated
13 Jul 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: Individual participant data (IPD) to be shared includes the anonymized case-level dataset containing: NASA-TLX subscale scores (T1, T2, T3), surgical case characteristics (anesthetic technique, surgical specialty, ASA, duration), and exploratory alarm management variables (VAS, P1, P2, P3). Participant-level data (experience, training) will be included in anonymized form. No directly identifiable information will be shared.

Publications

  • Joint Commission. Medical device alarm safety in hospitals. Sentinel Event Alert. 2013 Apr 8;(50):1-3. No abstract available.

    PubMed 23767076
  • ECRI Institute; Top 10 Health Technology Hazards for 2022; ECRI Institute; 2021

  • Hart SG, Staveland LE; Development of NASA-TLX (Task Load Index): results of empirical and theoretical research; Advances in Psychology; 1988; 52; 139-183

  • Wickens CD. Multiple resources and mental workload. Hum Factors. 2008 Jun;50(3):449-55. doi: 10.1518/001872008X288394.

    PubMed 18689052
  • Sweller J; Cognitive load during problem solving: effects on learning; Cognitive Science; 1988; 12(2); 257-285

  • Carayon P, Gurses AP. A human factors engineering conceptual framework of nursing workload and patient safety in intensive care units. Intensive Crit Care Nurs. 2005 Oct;21(5):284-301. doi: 10.1016/j.iccn.2004.12.003. Epub 2005 Feb 24.

    PubMed 16182125
  • Reason J. Human error: models and management. BMJ. 2000 Mar 18;320(7237):768-70. doi: 10.1136/bmj.320.7237.768. No abstract available.

    PubMed 10720363
  • Wunderlich CA, Barnsteiner JH, Minnick A; Development of the Clinical Alarm Fatigue Questionnaire (CAFQa); J Nurs Scholarsh; 2021; 53(6); 681-690

  • Cvach M. Monitor alarm fatigue: an integrative review. Biomed Instrum Technol. 2012 Jul-Aug;46(4):268-77. doi: 10.2345/0899-8205-46.4.268.

    PubMed 22839984
  • Kennedy-Metz LR, Lehane CM, Yule S, Dias RD, Zenati MA; Measuring cognitive load in the cardiac operating room; J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg; 2020; 160(6); 1621-1630

  • Piquilloud L, Tassaux D, Bialais E, Lambermont B, Roeseler J, Sottiaux T, Demoule A, Jolliet P; The work of breathing influences the cognitive load of nurses and physiotherapists during non-invasive ventilation assistance of patients with acute respiratory failure; Intensive Care Med; 2020; 46(5); 983-991

  • Olin K, Goras C, Nilsson U, Unbeck M, Ehrenberg A, Pukk-Harenstam K, Ekstedt M. Mapping registered nurse anaesthetists' intraoperative work: tasks, multitasking, interruptions and their causes, and interactions: a prospective observational study. BMJ Open. 2022 Jan 19;12(1):e052283. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-052283.

    PubMed 35045998
  • Goras C, Olin K, Unbeck M, Pukk-Harenstam K, Ehrenberg A, Tessma MK, Nilsson U, Ekstedt M. Tasks, multitasking and interruptions among the surgical team in an operating room: a prospective observational study. BMJ Open. 2019 May 15;9(5):e026410. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-026410.

    PubMed 31097486

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Alarm Fatigue and Perioperative, run by Hospital Clinic of Barcelona at 1 site in Spain.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 13 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Spain. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Victor Caro-Frechilla, RN, MSc (+34 633809919, vcaro@clinic.cat), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Global Raw NASA-TLX Score (time frame: At three time points per surgical case: T1 (5 minutes post-induction/spinal block), T2 (during maintenance, before surgical closure), and T3 (5 minutes after extubation/end of sedation ).). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07568158, which also lists 13 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 13 Jul 2026.

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