"Pre" code team

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Several weeks ago there was a thread about teams that are called to evaluate a patient on the floor that the nurse thinks is going bad. It involved ER/ICU nurse, resp therapist, etc. i have tried several searches to fiind this thread, but nothing is coming up. we need this at our hospital. HELP!!! tell me i'm not going crazy!! i did see this somewhere!!!

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Specializes in Almost everywhere.
Several weeks ago there was a thread about teams that are called to evaluate a patient on the floor that the nurse thinks is going bad. It involved ER/ICU nurse, resp therapist, etc. i have tried several searches to fiind this thread, but nothing is coming up. we need this at our hospital. HELP!!! tell me i'm not going crazy!! i did see this somewhere!!!

We have this at our hospital...a RRT or Rapid Response Team.

I didn't see the thread, but I'm sure there is one somewhere.

Our team consists of the House Spvr, ICU Charge Nurse and a Resp Therapist. We are still working out the bugs though.

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Specializes in Hospice, Critical Care.

I know there's a thread under Medical-Surgical ICU on this subject.

We, too, have a Rapid Response Team ("Team" may be too strong of word; at our place it's just the ICU charge nurse and a respiratory therapist). Other places also call it a Rapid Assessment Team.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

It's new thing in hospitals. Research shows it to be effective. Our hospital is starting one. I like the idea because when I have a patient crashing or near crashing and I have 7 other patients to look after, I could use some help.

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Specializes in ER.

That sounds cool. we could use that too.

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thanks you guys.... i couldn't remember what the name was to search under. i will spend some time tonight on line, to be sure! you guys are the greatest!

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At my facility it's called a Medical Emergency Team (MET Team) and with that there's an ICU RN, RT, and a medical intern/resident that go to the patient's room. There's a form that has to be filled out and it is a part of the chart. We evaluated this process for the first year that it was implemented and our rates of codes DRASTICALLY decreased. Of course codes will always occur but we, as ICU RN's were able to intervene and use our autonomy and assessment skills for pure patient benefit. It is successful in our institution for the most part. (Except when ICU is not staffed)

LCRN

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Specializes in Medical.

My hospital introduced a Medical Emergency Team (MET) a few year ago and it's been brilliant - patient outcomes are significantly improved, and ICU stays are shorter.

The MET call criteria are widely disseminated - all staff have a copy attached to their ID badge, and there are signs at every nurses station. MET call criteria are also included in our annual BACRA assessment. All staff are actively encouraged to initiate a MET call - if the team arrives and it turns out that the patient wasn't really that unwell, nobody freaks out.

The best thing about the MET team introduction, in my opinion, is that we now have an objective list of signs that make aptients MET call-eligible: if they meet a criterion we can call it, even if the doctor attending thinks s/he has it under control. The criteria include: RR >38 or

and "unable to obtain assistance". I love this last one - the number of times before that we stood about waiting for a patient to actually stop breathing before we could get someone up to see them...! We can also call a code of the patient isn't responding to treatment, which is good when you have a new intern on who's a little cautious.

I think the link you were looking for is: https://allnurses.com/forums/f15/rapid-response-team-105513.html?highlight=medical+emergency+team

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho.

Rumblings in my facility about developing a RRT too. I cant wait. There are so many times it could have been used and we end up calling codes because the patient is so close why wait.

It will be nice to see this one develop.

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Specializes in Trauma ICU, MICU/SICU.

Our hospital started one about 2 months ago. We love it in our area, because we are a Trauma floor and there have been times when a pt. is going bad at the same time they are calling Trauma alerts and then we don't have our trauma docs help.

There was an article in February (I think) Nursing2006.

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Specializes in Hemodialysis, Home Health.
Our hospital started one about 2 months ago. We love it in our area, because we are a Trauma floor and there have been times when a pt. is going bad at the same time they are calling Trauma alerts and then we don't have our trauma docs help.

There was an article in February (I think) Nursing2006.

Yes.. I read it there as well, and it was the first time I had heard of it. Sounds to be promising. Nice to see some really good and beneficial things come down the pike now and then, eh? :)

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Specializes in Critical Care.

The RRT are part of the Institute for Healthcare Initiative's '100,000 lives' campaign to institute evidenced based protocols nationwide with the goal of saving 100,000 lives a year from error or incorrect practice.

There are several initiatives underway. Central Line Bundles, Vent Bundles, VAP oral care, etc.

All the hospitals are going forward with this because IHI has JCAHO's blessing for their '100,000 lives' campaign.

~faith,

Timothy.

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