Families can now call the code team

[rn-jane]

Yesterday we had a staff meeting and the new thing at my hospital is the family can call the rat team(rapid assessment team, code team) if they feel their family member has a change or are not getting proper care. My manager said this is actually one of jacho's rules for 2009 for standard of care and beg my pardon "ARE THEY CRAZY!!!!!" I told my manager this is so not going to work and they better get more than one team because while some poor patient is actually having a true code, some family is going to monopolizing their time because their family member feelswe are not getting their bedpan, bath or popsicle in an orderly fashion.

Here is a for instance. I got out of the meeting to attend to one of my patients coming back from the cath lab got her all tucked in. A family member for another patient grabs my arm and says I'm so worried about my mother. "Her heart rate has gone up to 100!" Keep in mind it has been in the 90's all day, she was not my patient but I took her pressure, assessed her and said I would keep an eye on the monitor. They ended up caling the operator and had the head case manager come up to basically yell at me for not doing anything. I ended up calling the nurse out of the meeting to see their patient. Does anyone do this at their hospital and if so how does it work?

[SixFive]

like you said, it's a JCAHO requirement, so it will be standard everywhere.

Ours is called the Rapid Response team. There's a little laminated sheet posted by every patient bed that shows how to activate this. If it makes you feel any better, we've had it in place since June 2008, and it has yet to be activated by a patient or a family member. You're more likely to have it be activated by therapy, dietary, and housekeeping.

If it is activated, it's not too bad if your facility has good paperwork.

I actually felt the same as you when it was introduced, but it's not been bad at all.

[gonzo1, ASN, RN]

We have had it for at least 3 years and it is almost never used by family. We rarely have a code. Thank God

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I had an overnight stay at a hospital last week as a patient. There was a sign posted in my room which stated that families may activate the RRT if they feel the condition of the patient is changing for the worse. Although I agree that this system might have the potential for abuse, I don't spend enough time working in hospitals to have any certainty.

[ilmbg]

Please let me share my thought, both as an RN, and as a 'fairly frequent patient'. The last surgery I had was in April 2008. I had a routine choly with cardiac complications.

Unfortunately, the nursing care was either deplorable or nonexistant- if I had had a friend/family member there, I would not have left thier side.

For example, when I was in the ER with both chest and digestive pain, I used the callbell at 10:47pm to let them know my chest pain was increasing. At 11:01pm I unplugged myself and went to the desk to let them know/find out why nobody had answered. The RN was standing at the desk, and said 'Gee, nobody told me your light was on'. He came in at 11:07pm, gave me Morphine/nitro, and didn't come back until 11:25 to see if I felt better.same/worse.

If this is an indication of the nursing care that is going to be given around the country (and I have heard many horror stories about this city), then we must give the patient/families the ability to call for help.

I would imagine there will be times when someone calls needlessly, but as you can see by the other posts, it does not seem to be out of hand. If the staff is not going to practice proper care, then it is needed. I am wondering if this has not been implemented because too many patients have either been ignored when they told staff they 'didn't feel weel/had chest pain/shortness of breath', or just plain did not have any staff check on them for an inappropriate amount of time. Obviously the measure is needed for a reason.

Untill hospitals will increase their staff to a safe patient/staff ratio, or until nurses have a better work ethic, it is a needed step. (don't get all bent out of shape- but yes, there are nurses out there that are lazy, won't do a proper job, just as in any other work force). I suspect it is to cover their butts also. I applaud JACHO- they see that something must be done at this time.

[topkat, ADN, RN]

We have had it at our hospital for about 18 mths and I have noticed a much lower incidence of pt's coding. I haven't heard anything negative regarding family members abusing this either...

[FireStarterRN, BSN, RN]

I can see both sides. Like I mentioned on another thread, the BIL of a colleague of mine died after his wife pushed the call light with no response for over 30 minutes. He was recovering after a traumatic leg amputation in a grain hopper.

I can also see it with the potential for a boy who cried wolf situation.

[Roy Fokker, BSN, RN]

I honestly don't have a problem with families calling Rapid Response .... so long as we are adequately staffed to accommodate and respond for it.

cheers,

[FireStarterRN, BSN, RN]

I know that we all get aggravated with families with unrealistic demands, but there is another side to that coin.

[PICNICRN, BSN, RN]

We had the family request for rapid response policy for about 1 year- I really don't think it was ever used by a family in that time. Just staff. Seems to really have cut down on the codes and the pt coming to the unit too late.

I guess I can see both sides.

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

We had it since last year, (I think). I work in a clinic, so, I don't get to see whether of not this is abused or not. However, with the type of people we see, it would not surprize me to hear that an RRT was called, people running to a room out of breath, and then, the family saying to get the Burger King Special and hold the pickles.

[FireStarterRN, BSN, RN]

We had it since last year, (I think). I work in a clinic, so, I don't get to see whether of not this is abused or not. However, with the type of people we see, it would not surprize me to hear that an RRT was called, people running to a room out of breath, and then, the family saying to get the Burger King Special and hold the pickles.

:rotfl::lghmky: