Recognition of patients who require emergency assistance: A descriptive study

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate and describe patient characteristics and the process nurses use to identify patients about whom they have serious concerns in a new research context.

Design: The research design employed qualitative methods, specifically exploratory and descriptive approaches, utilizing in-depth interviews and purposive sampling.

Setting: The study was conducted in a teaching hospital and a peripheral hospital

Participants: The participants consisted of registered nurses (N = 32) with at least 5 years of experience and a history of calling the medical emergency team (MET). The mean years of experience as a registered nurse were 14 years, and the average calls made to the MET since employment in the current hospital were 16 calls.

Findings: The primary findings revealed that nurses relied on four patient characteristics to determine the MET criterion of being "seriously worried about a patient." These characteristics included (1) a sense of something being "off," (2) changes in color, (3) signs of agitation, and (4) observations of marginal or no change in patient condition. The process of gathering and interpreting information to identify deteriorating patients involved tactile assessments, visual observations, auditory cues, intuition, and drawing from past experiences and knowledge.

Conclusions: The study suggests the incorporation of the identified four characteristics into the explanation for the MET criterion of being "seriously worried about a patient." Further validation and refinement of these characteristics within the context of deteriorating patient conditions are recommended. Additionally, ongoing education programs in healthcare facilities should emphasize the use of subjective information in complex situations, facilitating early identification and rapid response to patients whose conditions are deteriorating.