title: Tasks completed by nursing members of a teaching hospital Medical Emergency Team.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess tasks completed by intensive care medical emergency team nurses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Australian teaching hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nursing-related technical and non-technical tasks and level of self-reported confidence and competence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Amongst 400 calls, triggers and nursing tasks were captured in 93.5% and 77.3% of cases, respectively. The median patient age was 73 years. The four most common triggers were hypotension (22.0%), tachycardia (21.1%), low SpO2 (17.4%), and altered conscious state (10.1%). Non-technical skills included investigation review (33.7%), history acquisition (18.4%), contribution to the management plan (40.5%) and explanation to bedside nurses (78.3%), doctors (13.6%), allied health (3.9%) or patient/relative (39.5%). Technical tasks included examining the circulation (32%), conscious state (29.4%), and chest (26.5%). Additional tasks included adjusting oxygen (23.9%), humidification (8.4%), non-invasive ventilation (6.5%), performing an ECG (22%), and administrating fluid as a bolus (17.5%) or maintenance (16, 5.2%), or medication as a statim dose (16.8%) or infusion (5.2%). Self-reported competence and confidence appeared to be high overall amongst our MET nurses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings provide important information on the tasks completed by Medical Emergency Team nurses and will guide future training.
authors.affiliation: Associate Nurse Unit Manager (ANUM), Australia.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Topple
authors.affiliation: Associate Nurse Unit Manager (ANUM), Australia.
authors.forename: Brooke
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.affiliation: Professor of Nursing, Australia.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Baldwin
authors.affiliation: Associate Nurse Unit Manager (ANUM), Australia.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McKay
authors.affiliation: Associate Nurse Unit Manager (ANUM), Australia.
authors.forename: Damien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Blythe
authors.affiliation: Nurse Unit Manager (former), Australia.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rogan
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Specialist, Australia.
authors.forename: Sam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Radford
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Specialist, Australia; Adjunct Senior Research Fellow and PhD student DEPM Monash University, Adjunct Associate Professor University Melbourne, Medical Director Critical Care Outreach Austin Hospital, Australia. Electronic address: Daryl.Jones@austin.org.au.
authors.forename: Daryl
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001315:Australia; D002983:Clinical Competence; D005260:Female; D057209:Hospital Rapid Response Team; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D024802:Nurse's Role; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012649:Self Concept; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D014937:Work; D000078329:Workforce
keywords: Medical Emergency Team; Nurse education; Rapid Response System; Rapid Response Team