Families can now call the code team

Nurses General Nursing

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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?

Specializes in Acute Med, Pediatric Hematology-Oncology.

We had a rapid response team at the hospital I used to work at. They were wonderful and I can't imagine working at a hospital without one. Families called occasionally, but never for something small and inconsequential.

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pagandeva- you are too funny! Sadly, true.

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Specializes in ICU.

so far i haven't heard of a mandation for family calling the rrt.......thank god! i can just imagine the nightmare. ssshhhh :smokin:

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Specializes in Ortho, Neuro, Detox, Tele.

I don't have an issue...because if something isn't right...how am I to know that this isn't their everyday self? The family notices changes while they are talking to them, and worst case....ok, we get the RRT in there, false alarm, no harm. it's JACHO, so love it or leave it.

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We were waiting at a local ER for a friend of ours to be brought in. Meantime a lady comes pushing her SO in a wheelchair and goes to the admitting desk. This guy was dusky, shallow, rapid resps and only responded to strong tactile stimuli with 1 or 2 word answers and then would drift back off. The clerk tells them to wait in the waiting area and someone would be with them.

After 10 minutes, I go to the desk and tell the clerk that someone needed to come out and see this man NOW (with my assessment) and it's not cool to code someone in the waiting area. If it would have been in a hospital room, I would have activated RRT in a heart beat.

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Specializes in ER.

If JCAHO would spend time on useful mandates....our ER doesn't even have a dirty utility room or a supply room. We store stuff in patient rooms, constantly going in and out, and we dump bedpans in the patient bathroom, which is big enough for one person, no assistant, no pump, and definitely NOT a wheelchair.

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If JCAHO would spend time on useful mandates....our ER doesn't even have a dirty utility room or a supply room. We store stuff in patient rooms, constantly going in and out, and we dump bedpans in the patient bathroom, which is big enough for one person, no assistant, no pump, and definitely NOT a wheelchair.

Question, How does that get by them?? They nose into everything when they come here!!!! That is unreal to have to put up with those conditions in your ER. I take it you work in a small community hospital??

I think many of us could write some really heated vents on this bunch of folks!!

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Specializes in NICU, PACU, Pediatrics.

We have a care team here that the families can call...it isn't our Code team but a team that comes and evaluates

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

I am sooooooooooo sick of Joint Commission I'm almost ready to quit nursing. They are coming to my facility soon, and our manager says if we don't "hand off" our patients, even when we go to the bathroom it's a JC violation.

I'm sick sick sick sick of Joint Commission. I hate hate hate them!

Whew...that felt good. Carry on. LOL

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If it is utilized properly it's a great tool to have. From what I've heard it's gone off without a hitch in surrounding hospitals in my area. No one has abused it as of yet. I hope that remains true.

JHACO should be most concerned about safe staffing ratios. That is the biggest issue regarding patient safety/health today but it keeps getting swept under the rug due to the almighty buck.

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.
I am sooooooooooo sick of Joint Commission I'm almost ready to quit nursing. They are coming to my facility soon, and our manager says if we don't "hand off" our patients, even when we go to the bathroom it's a JC violation.

I'm sick sick sick sick of Joint Commission. I hate hate hate them!

Whew...that felt good. Carry on. LOL

Amen Brother Tweety, Preach it!!!:bow:

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Specializes in Geri, Pedi, Trauma, OR, Rehab, MH, OP.

This is'nt the same subject, but kind of along the same lines. We had a family that contacted the local air-lift support. No call was made to 911 or the hospital. Of course, when air support is called in (at least here), our EMS still goes out and brings the pt into the ER, then transfers to the take-off site.

Is this common? The air-support team said it was no biggie and they dont mind being called out. They are always very professional and upstanding. I love those guys. :) It was just odd to me. Maybe its the area I work in and its something common, that just isnt common here, but it made for a huge mess on this one incident. Of course, we had to bring the pt in for assessment and then TRY to find an accepting doc for a VERY minor health issue. It scared the family because some of the symptoms seem to be a neurological issue being there was some change in mental status in an elderly pt, but it wound up being a common infection that was diagnosed within minutes and could have been treated right then and there.

If I sound ignorant in this, forgive me. Like I said, maybe its the small rural area Im in and Im just not used to things like this. Just seems crazy that a family can make calls like this, including calling in the code team.

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