Application of Rapid Response Teams - Essay Example

Hospitals all over the U.S. have been putting into practice Rapid Response Teams (RCTs) also known as Medical Emergency Teams (MET). The application of RRTs has led to a significant decrease in the number of codes called in units other than the ICU, as well as a reduction in the general code rate in hospitals that employ these teams. Identification and treatment of patients before the patient’s condition worsens to the extent that cardiopulmonary resuscitation is required is the purpose of RRTs unlike ancient code teams (Scott et al. 66). The structure of RRTs differs from one hospital to another, and the definite implementation procedure differs depending on the available resources and individual, as well as the kind of the institution in which the RRT is being implemented.

Physicians are not included in RRT because they are present in the house and we have physician coverage for all patients on the nursing units. Several pieces had to be put in place for the program to succeed in preparation for the implementation of the RRT: staff meetings to elucidate the role of the members of the RRT, a pilot test to project the number of RRT calls, and education of hospital-based care providers and community physicians. A light patient assignment for the nurse who is assigned to the RRT is recommended by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.
Monthly data for the RRT is reviewed by the champions of the implementation procedure in collaboration with the healthcare quality department. The number and nature of RRT calls, the number of codes, and the duration of RRT calls are included in the monthly data. Several modifications to optimize the RRT program were made based on outcomes (Scott et al. 67). The mean duration of the RRT calls has been 53 minutes, but the mean number of calls per 24 hours is still merely two. The RRT nurse revisits the nurses who started the call to address any questions that the nurse may still have in addition to the time needed for the RRT call.
Alternating RRT coverage between the ICU and the cardiac ICU was the other change made after the implementation of RRT. The documentation form developed initially for the RRT calls has been adjusted several times based on feedback from the nurses who used the form. The number of RRT calls reduced in 2006 following the initial implementation of the RRT. This reduction is attributed to the waning consciousness of the presence of RRT support among staff. The number of calls increased when we implemented an existing, multi-prolonged communication program to maintain nurses’ awareness of the presence of the RRT. Read More