Project Title
Let Us Talk About It: Using a Communication Tool to Improve the Timeliness of Rapid Responses
Date of Award
Summer 2023
Document Type
Final DNP Paper
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Department
Nursing
Faculty Chair
Dr. Lynette Djonret-Hall
Preceptor
Dr. Courtney Berry-Cannon
Abstract
Background: In healthcare emergencies, minutes matter. Code blue, code stroke, and rapid responses are processes put in place by hospitals to save lives and improve the outcome of deteriorating patients. At a local medical facility in Alabama, the process for calling codes and rapid responses created miscommunication and delays in the code team’s arrival. An assessment revealed that a purchased clinical communication device (CCD) was underutilized.
Purpose: The purpose of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to improve the communication of code blue, code stroke, and rapid responses by utilizing the CCD.
Methods: The quality improvement project consisted of educational sessions by the DNP student to staff on the medical-surgical unit on the efficient use of the CCD to improve communication during emergencies. Information was collected and analyzed from patient safety reports, chart reviews, and CCD reports to determine opportunities.
Results: A review of patient safety reports, Critical Care Committee meeting minutes, and the CCD communication logs revealed that using the CCD helped reduce communication errors. There was no statistical significance, but the project was clinically significant.
Conclusion: Implementing educational sessions on using CCD to call codes and rapid responses helped reduce the number of miscommunications during codes.
Keywords: Vocera ©, wireless communication, rapid response, code blue, code stroke, hands-free, technology, hospital operator, emergency response time
Recommended Citation
Singleton, LaJaynees, "Let Us Talk About It: Using a Communication Tool to Improve the Timeliness of Rapid Responses" (2023). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 107.
https://digitalcommons.jsu.edu/etds_nursing/107