Environmental Safety Quality Measures
Rapid response teams include doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, and
pharmacists who are available to quickly get to the bedside of a patient who
is showing signs of rapid decline.
Rapid response teams are summoned by staff nurses who recognize
when a patient's condition has suddenly changed for the worse and who want to
take immediate action to prevent cardiac or respiratory arrest.
The rapid response team concept is part of the 100,000 Lives Campaign
promoted by the Institute
for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and endorsed by
the Joint
Commission on Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).
St. Mary's Hospital Medical Center uses rapid response teams or a similar program to address the immediate
needs of patients who have a sudden change in their condition.