Award Date

May 2016

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing (ND)

Department

Nursing

First Committee Member

Jessica Doolen

Second Committee Member

Susan VanBeuge

Third Committee Member

Christopher Cochran

Number of Pages

53

Abstract

The healthcare industry is continuously challenged to improve patient outcomes while remaining focused on cost-containment and patient safety. The National Patient Safety goals (2009) provide healthcare organizations with performance standards aimed at reducing morbidity and mortality rates. Rapid response teams (RRT) are one of the initiatives intended to decrease cardiopulmonary arrests outside the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), decrease unplanned admission into the ICU, and decrease mortality rates.

The last twelve years at war has created a high deployment rate for military medical personal. Each year military hospitals lose an average of eight to ten providers to support the War of Terrorism. Deployment cycles and Permanent Change of Station (PCS) cycles create a military healthcare system that functions in a constant state of turmoil and transition.

Implementation of standardized programs has been problematic due to these high turnover rates and individualized hospital policies based on the local command. There is a lack of continuity and standardization in RRT programs in the Military healthcare system despite evidence that a standardized program can improve patient outcomes. Each hospital creates and operates their RRT programs based on local policy and procedures. Standardization of the RRT program is essential in a healthcare system that requires medical professionals to adapt to a new healthcare organization every three to four years as they are transferred among hospital facilities. The purpose of this Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) Project is to create a standardized RRT policy based on current evidence and best practices and to present this policy to Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center (DDEAMC) for consideration for implementation.

Keywords

Rapid response teams

Disciplines

Nursing

File Format

pdf

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Download


Included in

Nursing Commons

Share

COinS