Before a Code Blue!

We have a similar system at our hospital. It's called the Rapid Response team. From what I hear it has done alot of good for our patients.

Thanks for responding CeeKayRN - good to know that it has been adopted. Perhaps we took the idea from you guys....lol!

Stick to a good system that works.

We also have that at the facility where i work. we are a 300+ hospital in NC. We have a "Rapid Response Team", made up of ICU charge nurse, resp therapist. We have standing orders for lots of things. Yes, it is wonderful and very helpful in saving lives.

Hey Sharrie,

Aussie's are one up on the British! You may have beaten us in the final tally in the Olympics. We will see you at the Olympics in 2012.

But at least you are using our Australian Model for M.E.R.T!

Yes, we do have a similar resource available called a "Rapid Response Team." I love those darn ICU nurses, they've helped me save my patients multiple times. Just had one go to the unit the other day. They are awesome! :)

We started the MET team process a few years back with great success at my hospital (normal census is around 350). Looking back it seems obvious! It helps that our main ICU charge nurse is laid back and helpful, knows his stuff, and is able to educate in a nonjudgemental easygoing way...makes every MET a learning experience, and always sure to acknowledge a job well done.

Thanks to everybody for submitting information about Response Team alerts. I just want to take this opportunity and say a big Thank you to all ICU nurses - who respond promptly. To all the other nurses who are quick in decision to call the response team.

It is great that we have good systems to rely on in nursing that work well!

Can I also add that "Congratulations to all the Americas at the recent Olympics in China" - what a great effort. Us Aussie love competing against the yanks in the pool!

Some downsides to the rapid response teams:

ICU nurses get more work shifted to them, often without any increase in staff.

'Sicker' patients get shifted to the Med/Surg floors under the notion that' The RRT's are always available

Erosion of the Med/Surg nurses critical thinking skills-especially newer nurses taught to 'Just call the RRT anytime you have any kind of concern'.

Increased workloads amoungst Med/Surg nurses based on the mistaken premise that RRT is always available.

A lot of hospitals use this as a scheme to cut staffing.

Our met team has an ICU nurse (who typically only takes one step down pt, so that she can answer calls), an RT, a lab tech, an ER nurse, and the nursing supervisor. If a hospitalist in the building, he will answer as well. The Code Blue team adds the pharmacist, an IV therapist (if she's in the house) and the ED physician.

If we call a MET we have several protocols in place--we can order certain labwork, certain radiological studies, and other tests or procedures, like and EKG or a breathing treatment.

Since we implemented the MET response, we have gone from averaging 5 codes a month hospital wide (our average hospital census is between 80-110) to averaging 1 code a month. The MET response has definitely saved lives in our hospital.