The Journal of Rapid Response and Critical Care Nursing (JRRCCN) is committed to publishing timely and impactful research that addresses urgent needs and innovations in emergency and critical care nursing practice. Below, you will find access to the current issue and archived volumes, showcasing scholarly work from authors around the world.
Featured Articles in the Latest Issue
- Volume 2 (Issue 1) JANUARY- JUNE 2026
Research Articles
Implementing Early Warning Scoring Systems for Rapid Response in Postoperative Settings
Vol.2(1); Pages:1-10. Published on March-2026
Abstract
Postoperative patients Rapid clinical deterioration in postoperative patients is a significant factor in the morbidity and mortality that can be prevented in hospital environments. Rapid response systems have been constructed to enable the early identification and subsequent intervention; therefore, there are still some areas of active research on the best activation strategies. This was a prospective observational study that was evaluating the application of a nursing-based early warning score (EWS) protocol in the postoperative wards of a tertiary care hospital. A group of 312 adult patients who were surgical patients post-major abdominal and thoracic were followed up with the help of standardized physiological scoring criteria of bedside nurses in every four hours. The research evaluated the rate of response activation, response times, and patient outcomes such as unplanned intensive care unit transfer, incidence of cardiac arrest and in-hospital mortality. The results showed that the activation under EWS guidance enhanced detection of deterioration at an earlier stage, and mobilization of the response teams took place at lower physiological levels than in the conventional physician driven systems. Nurses said that they were more confident in their escalation decision and that they had less uncertainly in clinical judgment. Notably, the proportion of unplanned transfers into the ICU went down by 18% implying that the early intervention curbed the escalation to extreme instability. The results emphasize the critical importance of nursing assessment instruments on critical care escalation pathways and aid in the expansion of broader use of structured monitoring models in settings of surgical recovery.
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Simulation-Driven Training for Rapid Response Nurses in Acute Respiratory Failure Management
Vol.2(1); Pages:11-18. Published on April-2026
Abstract
Patients with acute respiratory compromise that is in need of emergency stabilization and interdisciplinary treatment are continually faced by rapid response nurses. Even though such encounters are critical, not all nurses have stated that they have received limited experiential training in high-acuity respiratory emergencies. This quasi-experimental research tested the quality of simulation-based training aimed at enhancing the knowledge of rapid response nurses in dealing with acute respiratory failure. Two tertiary hospitals engaged fifty-eight registered nurses in a structured training program that comprised high-fidelity simulation situation that comprised hypoxemia, airway obstruction, and sudden respiratory collapse. The subjects were assessed on a pre-training and post-training assessment in the accuracy of clinical decision-making, airways management skills, and communication efficiency, as well as perceived confidence in emergency response scenarios. The scores in the performance of the scenarios were significantly improved after the intervention, especially with regard to recognizing the signs of respiratory distress early enough and escalating to the use of advanced airway support. The interprofessional communication also improved during crisis management situation through simulation exercises where the nurses were more clarified when handing over and quickly coordinated as a team. Respondents stated that immersive simulation environments enabled them to learn to think critically and respond with a procedure without risk to the patient. The paper recommends the implementation of the structured simulation curriculum into critical care nursing education, and the importance of the experiential learning methods in training and developing the rapid response groups to deal with the high-risk respiratory emergencies.
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Nurse-Led Rapid Response Teams and Their Impact on In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Prevention
Vol.2(1); Pages:19-26. Published on April-2026
Abstract
Physiological abnormalities that lead to cardiac arrest in the hospital may often be detected in hours prior to the event. It has been suggested that one of the effective strategies to employ in the early intervention and stabilization of patients is the rapid response teams, which are headed by qualified critical care nurses. This prospective retrospective study was a multicenter study that used hospital records of four Academic Medical Centres to identify the effect of rapid response teams led by nurses on the rates of cardiac arrest and survival. The sample consisted of 2,148 rapid response activations during 24 months and involved patient demographics, triggering criteria, interventions done, and the results of the clinical outcomes. It was found that nurse-led teams started to implement the intervention like the increase in oxygen therapy, fluid resuscitation, and early physician consultation much quicker compared to the previous models of physician-only responses. Hospitals that utilized nurse-led systems had a statistically significant decrease in cardiac arrests in the ward and the reduction was 21% over the study period. Also, the patient survival to discharge was slightly improved and this indicates that early stabilization is an important factor in avoiding catastrophic deterioration. Nurses had higher autonomy in initiating evidence-based interventions and had high compliance to standardized escalation protocols. The results support the importance of nurses in leadership in rapid response systems and justify the need to expand nurse-led model of emergency response as a measure to improve patient safety in acute care hospitals.
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Communication Dynamics Between Rapid Response Nurses and Intensive Care Teams During Escalation Events
Vol.2(1); Pages:27-35. Published on May-2026
Abstract
Close interaction between rapid response nurses and intensive care unit (ICU) professionals can significantly help to escalate patients at risk with a critical deterioration in time. Any miscommunication in these stressful interactions may slow down the treatment process, undermine patient safety, and lead to other adverse outcomes. The paper is a mixed-method study investigating the patterns of communication and barriers, as well as facilitators of rapid response escalation events in two tertiary hospitals. Quantitative analysis involved 176 rapid response activations where the transfer of patient to the ICU was taken into consideration. The efficiency of communication was evaluated using structured observation checklists on the clarity of the clinical information exchange, the timeliness of the escalation, and the coordination of the teams. By using semi structured interviews with involved nurses and ICU physicians, the researchers gathered qualitative data to investigate the attitudes towards the communication issues in critical situations. Findings have indicated that standardized communication systems, which included structured handoff procedures, led to greater accuracy in information and a lower delay in decision making. Nurses indicated that well-articulated escalation scripts and positive response to RICU team helped build confidence in high acuity cases. Nevertheless, the lack of time and the presence of hierarchical obstacles at times restricted free communication. The qualitative results highlighted the role of mutual trust and common situational awareness between clinical teams. In general, the research points to the necessity of institutional policies that reinforce the training of communication and facilitate the team culture in the system of rapid response.
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Workload, Fatigue, and Decision Accuracy Among Rapid Response Nurses in High-Acuity Hospital Settings
Vol.2(1); Pages:36-45. Published on May-2026
Abstract
Rapid response nurses often work under conditions of unpredictable clinical needs, a high patient acuity, and a considerable amount of mental workload. Such conditions can promote fatigue and, possibly, affect the accuracy of clinical decisions in cases of emergency interventions. The study was a cross-sectional analytical investigation on the correlation of intensity of workload, level of fatigue and accuracy of decision-making of rapid response nurses in tertiary hospital environments. The number of nurses that were involved in the study was 124 in three metropolitan hospitals. The exposure to workload was determined by use of shift activity logs as well as response frequency data, and the degree of fatigue was determined by use of validated occupational fatigue assessment scales. The accuracy of decision was tested by using standardised clinical vignettes that reflected common rapid response scenarios e.g. sepsis progression, sudden hypotension and respiratory deterioration. The statistical results showed that the more the frequency of responses during the long shifts, the higher the fatigue score, and the less significant the decrease in diagnostic accuracy. Nonetheless, nurses who had more years of experience working in the critical care unit appeared more resilient and did not lose high accuracy of decisions under the pressure of the workload. Structured team support and staffing were also also found to be important protective factors against fatigue-related performance decline by the participants. The results indicate that the effectiveness of high-acuity healthcare setting rapid response nursing teams can be maintained by workforce planning, rest policies, and resilience training.
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