Rapid Response

Martin Bower
Richelle Cisco
Jerrica Crandall

What is a Rapid Response Team?

A rapid response team (also known as RRT) consists of
clinicians from various expertise, who provide emergency
bedside care within minutes, to non-intensive care patients.
They address clinical situations before they become lifethreatening to patients.

Purpose of RRT
Prevent patients from advancing into cardiac/respiratory
arrest
Increases overall survival rates
Decreases admissions to ICU
Prevent costly and unnecessary transfers to the ICU
Fosters collaboration between medical-surgical nurses and
ICU nurses in the care of the patient through:
-assessment
-support
-communication
-education
-immediate interventions

Rapid Response is not a Code!

If ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) interventions are
required, such as intubation, cardioversion, or ACLS meds, an
emergency cart must be called. This is a code!!!

When to Call RRT

(Referring to Auburn Community Hospitals Policy & Procedure)

Concern or worry about pt condition

Decreased LOC
Alterations in consciousness
Onset of agitation and delirium
Seizures
Change in respiratory status
Change in HR
Change in BP
Unresolved CP
Hemorrhage
I/O or urine output below 50mL in 4 hours
Note: Always refer to your institutions P&P of when to call RRT

Members of RRT

Pts primary nurse

Critical Care Unit Nurse
Respiratory therapist
Nurse Manager/Supervisor
Attending physician, hospitalist, Nurse Practitioner (when
available)
Members must be available to respond immediately-within 5
minutes of the call

Primary Nurses Role

Initiates the Rapid Response

Provides the pts history to the responders
Reports changes in health status to the responders
Provides care to the pt

Who Can Call RRT

Anyone!
Family
Patient
Nurse
Secretary

Evidence-Based Practice
Underuse of RRT may negatively impact patient outcomes;
conversely, as the number of RRT activations increase, patient
outcome improve. Hospitals reporting 15 RRT activations per
month per 1000 discharges show decreases in incidence of
cardiopulmonary arrests, admissions to intensive care units,
and overall mortality. Hospitals with less than 10 RRT
activations per 1000 discharges do not demonstrate similar
improvements.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twkAMnvS84M&feature=pla
yer_detailpage

Code or Rapid Response

Your patient stops breathing?

Your patient has a sudden change in LOC?

CPR has been started?
Patient has uncontrolled bleeding/hemorrhage?
Your patient just doesnt look right?

List the criteria of when to activate Rapid Response

Resources
Lewis, S. (2011). Medical-Surgical Nursing: Assessment and Management of Clinical Problems (8th ed., p. 1681-1682). St. Louis, MO.: Elsevier/Mosby.
Grissinger, M. (2010). Rapid Response Teams in Hospitals Increase Patient Safety. Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 35($), 191-207. Retrieved from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2873718/
Rapid Response Team Policy & Procedure. (2007, January 1). Retrieved March 29, 2015, from http://www.auburnhospital.org
S Astroth, K., M Woith, W., Stapleton, S. J., Degitz, R. J., & Jenkins, S. H. (2013). Qualitative exploration of nurses' decisions to activate rapid response teams. Journal Of
Clinical Nursing, 22(19/20), 2876-2882. doi:10.1111/jocn.12067