Resident and RN perceptions of the impact of a medical emergency team on education and patient safety in an academic medical center.

Rapid response systems serve an important patient safety function in hospitals by helping detect systematic problems in care, and emerging evidence indicates that such teams may improve some clinical outcomes. This study evaluated the views of frontline providers—bedside nurses and resident physicians—toward a rapid response team (RRT). Both groups agreed that the presence of the RRT improved patient safety, and both also felt that the RRT did not adversely affect their educational experience or patient care skills. These findings have been previously demonstrated for nurses. Interestingly, both nurses and residents who had more experience with the RRT felt more positively about its effects. The RRT in this study consisted of a critical care nurse, a respiratory therapist, and a pharmacist with physician backup.