Implementation of Standardized Debrief for Rapid Response Calls

Abstract

Background: Communication in healthcare is vital to providing patients with safe and effectivecare. Developing a strategy to enhance communication between bedside nurses and the rapid response nurse (RRN) is essential in providing patients with timely and effective care during critical situations. For bedside nurses, a structured debrief serves to enhance teamwork and communication during subsequent rapid responses. Purpose: To enhance communication between the bedside nurse and the rapid response nurse through structured debriefing following the conclusion of a rapid response. Recognizing effective communication and reinforcing positive interactions could reduce the hesitance when contacting rapid response, thereby improving patient care. Methods: This quality improvement project evaluated qualitative data collected during structured debriefs using the STOP5 debrief tool and also through a post-pre survey design distributed to the bedside nurses to determine the usefulness of maintaining debriefing. Results: The qualitative data revealed five themes that impacted the rapid response event, including communication and teamwork, SBAR & handoff protocols, advocacy & critical thinking, and resources, being the most frequently discussed topics in debriefs. Results of the post-pre survey demonstrated minimal to negative changes between pre- and post-intervention; the small sample size prevented the results from having adequate statistical significance. Conclusions: Debriefing encouraged bedside and rapid response nurses to identify areas for improvement following rapid response events. Negative results are due to multifactorial limitations. There is a need for ongoing follow-up after rapid response events, and further investigation is required to identify the most effective methods for conducting this follow-up.