Organizational Perspectives of Nurse Executives in 15 Hospitals on the Impact and Effectiveness of Rapid Response Teams.

BACKGROUND

Many hospitals use rapid response teams (RRTs) to respond to deteriorating patients, but it remains unclear what organizations actually monitor. Understanding what organizations value in an RRT may help clarify measurement choices. Interviews were conducted to determine how organizational leaders perceived and evaluated their hospitals' RRTs.

METHODS

The study used a descriptive, qualitative design. Participants were nurse executives and key informants in 300- to 500-bed hospitals in the south-central United States and were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling. Sample size was determined by data saturation. Semistructured face-to-face interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Interview data were analyzed using the techniques of conventional content analysis and constant comparison and descriptive statistics for demographics.

RESULTS

From November 2014 through April 2015, 27 participants were interviewed from 15 hospitals. Global themes emerged: value of and monitoring the RRT. All participants valued positive patient outcomes from use of the RRT, such as decreased code rates and transfers to the ICU. They also valued positive influences of the RRT on the health care team such as education, relationships, and promotion of a culture of safety, including providing consistency of care and evidence-based care. Formal and informal RRT evaluations were usually conducted, resulting in subsequent actions.

CONCLUSION

Participants emphasized the impact of the RRT on professional staff relationships and the organizational culture, suggesting that the actual value of the RRT stretches beyond patient outcomes. Evaluations of the RRTs were largely informal. Hospitals placed high value on health care team and organizational outcomes but generally did not capture data to support them.