title: Defining impact of a rapid response team: qualitative study with nurses, physicians and hospital administrators.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to qualitatively describe the impact of a Rapid Response Team (RRT) at a 944-bed, university-affiliated hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analysed 49 open-ended interviews with administrators, primary team attending physicians, trainees, RRT attending hospitalists, staff nurses, nurses and respiratory technicians.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Themes elicited were categorised into the domains of (1) morale and teamwork, (2) education, (3) workload, (4) patient care, and (5) hospital administration. Positive implications beyond improved care for acutely ill patients were: increased morale and empowerment among nurses, real-time redistribution of workload for nurses (reducing neglect of non-acutely ill patients during emergencies), and immediate access to expert help. Negative implications were: increased tensions between nurses and physician teams, a burden on hospitalist RRT members, and reduced autonomy for trainees.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The RRT provides advantages that extend well beyond a reduction in rates of transfers to intensive care units or codes but are balanced by certain disadvantages. The potential impact from these multiple sources should be evaluated to understand the utility of any RRT programme.
authors.affiliation: Department of Performance Management, Yale New Haven Health System, New Haven, Connecticut 06519, USA. andrea.benin@gmail.com
authors.forename: Andrea L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Benin
authors.forename: Christopher P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Borgstrom
authors.forename: Grace Y
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Jenq
authors.forename: Sarah A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Roumanis
authors.forename: Leora I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Horwitz
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003237:Connecticut; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D006739:Hospital Administration; D006740:Hospital Administrators / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D057209:Hospital Rapid Response Team / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006796:Household Work; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007857:Leadership; D009013:Morale; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005791:Patient Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000592:standards; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D036301:Qualitative Research; D000078329:Workforce; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology