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Web site spotlight: Set up an effective rapid response system

Nurse Leader Weekly, July 21, 2008

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Small hospitals struggling to implement a rapid response system may want to take a cue from East Texas Medical Center in Athens, a 28-bed facility that saw its calls for code blues—as well as its mortality rates—drop after it instituted an emergency team.

The medical center's effort began in 2006, when management from the floor, the emergency department, and the intensive care unit] formed a team to address the issues by looking at baseline data, said Melissa Lehman, RN, MSN, CPHQ, during HCPro's May 14 audioconference, "Rapid Response Systems for Small Hospitals: Tips and Tools to Overcome a Lack of Resources."

"We initially looked at what resources were available and not available for nursing," Lehman said. The hospital discovered it had no formal education in place, and staff members didn't know who or when to call for additional help.

Staff members adopted a motto of "call early, call often" to encourage nurses to call if they felt at all worried, Lehman said. Through posters, badge buddies (a small paper with the details for a required call), and continual education, staff members learned more about when to make a call to the rapid response team.

Editor's note: This excerpt was adapted from the article, "How to set up an effective rapid response system" featured in The Reading Room on HCPro's new online resource center, www.StrategiesForNurseManagers.com. Get a free trial membership that will give you 30 days to test drive all the exciting features on the Web site.

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