Why Do Hospitals Need Rapid Response Nurses?
Rapid response nurses (RRNs) and rapid response teams (RRTs) effectively reduce the incidence of cardiac arrest, respiratory failure, and accidental death in hospital patients. RRTs are associated with a pronounced drop of 33.8% to 37.7% in the in-hospital cardiac arrest rate.
Rapid response nursing and teams were established in answer to "failure to rescue," a term used in healthcare to describe the failure to prevent a clinically important deterioration, such as death or permanent disability, arising from complications of underlying illness or of medical care. RRTs are a proposed patient safety practice to address "failure to rescue" and are endorsed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, as well as the Joint Commission.
Preventable sudden deaths in hospitals can have catastrophic consequences, affecting patients, their families, and the healthcare professionals involved. By creating a work environment where the voice of nurses is heard and respected, RRTs foster a culture of proactive intervention and prevention. RRTs represent a shift in healthcare culture towards greater safety with the principle of delivering critical care expertise to patients before the development of adverse clinical outcomes.
Aren't RRNs the Same as Emergency Care Nurses?
Emergency care nurses work in the emergency department, whereas rapid response nurses are called by other nurses from any department or by others to quickly and expertly evaluate the patient's condition and initiate care for patients experiencing deterioration before an adverse event occurs.
What Is a Rapid Response Nurse?
An RRN is a registered nurse with advanced training and expertise in critical care who:
- quickly assesses the patient's condition,
- initiates approved protocols with the rest of the team,
- intervenes to stabilize the patient,
- coordinates further care,
- calls for communication with the provider if necessary.
The interventions may include supplemental oxygen, a 12-lead ECG and lab specimens, and administration of medications based on cardiac dysrhythmias.
An RRN works on a rapid response team and is often the first responder, and their capacity and skill are closely related to the success rate of the RRT.
What Is a Rapid Response Team?
An RRT is a multidisciplinary, early intervention team composed of healthcare professionals, including RRNs, physicians, respiratory therapists, and other critical care specialists, prepared to prevent the patient's condition from worsening further and to reduce the risk of cardiac arrest or other adverse events.
The team is activated in response to a deteriorating patient who is not in the intensive care unit but requires immediate medical attention.
The goal of both the rapid response nurse and the rapid response team is to intervene quickly in critical situations, promote patient safety, and prevent further complications. By recognizing and responding promptly to signs of patient deterioration, they significantly improve patient outcomes and reduce the need for more intensive interventions, such as transferring the patient to the ICU or initiating a code blue response.
Rapid Response Monitoring
To ensure timely intervention, clinical nurses learn to recognize patient deterioration and promptly activate the rapid response team when appropriate.
Frequent and accurate monitoring of vital signs plays a key role in rapid response nursing. However, the monitoring can sometimes be inaccurate, incomplete, or not measured at the optimal frequency, thus contributing to the risk of "failure to rescue." Fortunately, easily wearable, noninvasive devices can now measure respiratory rate, temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and oxygen saturation, providing continuous vital sign monitoring. These devices are becoming increasingly accessible and cost-effective, suggesting the transition to their use in hospitals.
How to Become a Rapid Response Nurse?
If you want to become a rapid response nurse, these major moves will get you there.
- By completing an accredited nursing program and passing the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN), you will become a registered nurse (RN), a prerequisite for RRNs.
- Gaining experience in critical care nursing or emergency nursing in hospitals and especially in critical care units, will help you develop essential clinical skills, knowledge, and the ability to recognize and manage deteriorating patients.
- Some hospitals may require additional certifications such as Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Critical Care Certified Nurse (PCCN), or Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification.
- Training in rapid response and emergency management will prepare you for rapid assessment, early intervention, and effective communication within a multidisciplinary team.
- Finding and applying for rapid response nurse positions is the final step.
How to Find Rapid Response Nursing Jobs?
One effective way to explore rapid response nursing opportunities is through Nursa, a platform that connects you with per diem nursing shifts across a wide range of nursing specialties. You can see available shifts and follow the steps to choose the one for you.
In the search for RRN jobs, you can also:
- Visit the websites of hospitals or healthcare systems in your area that often have dedicated career pages with job listings.
- Connect with other healthcare professionals working in critical care or emergency settings and talk with them about your interest in rapid response nursing.
- Attend nursing conferences or workshops to expand your network, a truly professional investment.
By working PRN shifts, demonstrating your nursing capacity, forging friendships, and interacting with licensed professionals, you build your network and gain a competitive edge, especially when a rapid response nursing position opens up in a facility where you have already worked and made connections. You will also have some knowledge of the organizational culture and atmosphere and may be able to give more personal and focused answers in an interview.
You can become a rapid response nurse who knows what to do to avert an emergency, comes to the rescue in time with critical care expertise and essential support, and relieves the agonizing stress for fellow nurses.
