Date Approved

8-2014

Graduate Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Nursing (D.N.P.)

Degree Program

College of Nursing

Abstract

Rapid response systems (RRSs) have been proven to decease mortality, cardiac arrests, and ICU admissions. The three major health care system issues lead to failure to rescue: failure to communicate, failure to plan, and failure to recognize deteriorating conditions. It is crucial in a hospital setting that nurses have a basic knowledge base of why, when, and how the RRS should be activated as they are the first line of defense to recognizing signs of deterioration in patients. Previous research has shown that, although signs of patient deterioration are seen by staff, they are not always acted upon (Pusateri et al., 2011).

Nurses require training regarding the specific RRS programs in place at the hospitals in which they work. Enhancement of knowledge, skills, and critical thinking for bedside nurses is needed for positive patient outcomes. Nurses appreciate and can grow from feedback through participation in simulation activities based around activation of the RRS as demonstrated in the following studies that have determined the usefulness and education-enhancing properties of simulation-based training for bedside nurses (Leonard, Shuhaibar, & Chen, 2010; Sittner, Schmaderer, Zimmerman, Hetzog, and George, 2009; Wehbe-Janek et al., 2012).

The goal of this evidence-based project is to develop an educational intervention related to rapid response teams (RRTs) by determining attitudes and perceptions of experienced registered nurses who have already attended Nursing Excellence Academy (NEA) and are currently employed at the project site (Sample 1), using the information from the previous step to create an evidence-based RRT PowerPoint® presentation and evidence-based simulated RRT educational intervention, and pilot testing and evaluation the evidence-based intervention with newly hired experienced registered nurses attending NEA (Sample 2).

The design of the project included: 1) a sample of nurses who received an electronic survey measuring participation, knowledge, and satisfaction with their RRT and 2) a sample of nurses who received an RRT educational presentation, pre and posttest, simulation, and simulation evaluation tool. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, means, and percentages for survey questions in Sample 1. Sample 2 was sample size was very low and therefore only means and percentages were calculated.

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