I got a new job! What's a Rapid Response Nurse?

I got a new position at the hospital! I am now a night shift Rapid Response Team Nurse. I was able to obtain the position after working in the ICU for 3 years. In this video, I talk about what my duties are as a RRT RN.

Connect with me on Instagram: @nursenowski

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[danhorton]

Congratulations on the new job Nowski! That’s fabulous news! I work in the UK so our system is a little different but the principles of our teams are pretty much the same as yours although our teams don’t perform rounds routinely.
Good luck with it and be sure and keep us posted on your progress! 😉

[michaelajennings]

Lately we have been keeping patients who need ICU level care on the general floors because there aren't enough beds. They will likely not stay on the floor very long if they are intubated, rapid response RN will usually come help with them until a bed is ready. The primary nurse will have a 1:4 ratio instead of 1:5 when we have a step-down or ICU patient on our unit.

This was my first week out of orientation. My patient had a temp >103, SBP >190, hr in the 130s-150s and a GCS change from 15 to 9, using several PRN medications for all of the things. All lines are constantly being used for something. Totally needed a triple lumen access but only had 2 IVs . The ICU doc came to see pt when they were snowed from ativan, and said no he'll be fine here. 🙂 needed MRI with tele and continuous pulse ox monitoring, so RN had to go with which is total bullshit to deal with on a Medsurg unit where most nurses are 1:5.

[MellowSerenitycatdogcpbclox]

You are the cutest thing ever!!! Binge watching your videos lol new pcu nurse here, I was just so amazed at the knowledge of my Rapid nurse and was curious to learn more. Thanks for the vid!

[VJuanites]

I'm an MICU nurse and In the hospital I work for the rapids are handled by the medical ICU resource nurse on days and if they are busy the charge nurse then takes over. On nights the MICU charge is the one that responds to the rapids and usually does not get a pt assignment. Code blue are usually handled by the CCU charge nurse unless the rapid turns to a code then at that point the RRT nurse is usually the one that stays and helps. Each floor is assigned a resident that handles med service pt and responds to rapids and codes. Traumas are usually handled by both ER and the SICU charge. We really usually don't need to carry around any supplies since most of the floors has a code cart and a rapid cart holds supplies.

[alang]

These are great roles! Our hospital utilizes them or ER for code teams and such.

[JoyeverMRE]

I'm a Med-Surg RN. When a rapid response (Nurse Blue) is called overhead at my hospital, the Med-Surg CRN, ICU CRN, House Supervisor, on call NP, RT, and a lab tech come to the scene.

[Pruelaroo]

That sounds like a really great role and a way to increase the safety of patients on the ward, I'm surprised you can do it without a post grad cert but you system is likely v. different from Australia.

[SarahRN]

can you give certain medications without an order in rapid response - or when you get to the patient do you have to wait to for MD to arrive and tell you to give a certain medication

[harvickfarms]

Good morning, thank you for this video. I am an ER manager working on improving our newly developed rapid response team and would love to hear your feedback and thoughts after you have been a Rapid Response nurse for almost a year now.

[URBANFARMBOYS]

Congrats, Nowski! That’s exciting! My hospital is smaller than yours (450 beds or so). We don’t have a dedicated team. Our rapid response call goes directly to our ICU charge nurse. They respond first and then rally other troops as needed. Sometimes we have a bunch of rapids at once and then basically anybody from ICU will fill in if the charge is occupied. I like the idea of having somebody who is dedicated and can round to try to prevent these things from happening! Plus you’ll make tons of good connections all over the hospital. Super cool!

[dougdolly]

Think this is similar to a job i use to do as a critical care outreach nurse. We would try to prevent icu admissions or fast track someone who is very poorly into the next available icu bed. Do you also respond to crashes? We only helld the crash bleep on nights and weekends. Like you i mainly worked nights so was responding to crashes alot. This was also in a huge city centre 1200 bed hospital!! So we didnt really stop all night. One question what is a resp tech? We dont have these in the UK, are they RNs by background?

[bettysmith]

I have an interview for this role on Friday, I am a bit nervous! Do they ask you a lot of scenario type questions or is it mostly behavioral ? I have 16 years of paramedic experience, a few years of vascular RN experience, and several years of ER RN experience.

[webslutexposer]

aww a cute little orange backpack for you icu boy

[webslutexposer]

this was probably the biggest waste of my 5 minutes all day. thank you

[webslutexposer]

i can tell you don't really run these code gay icu boy