HORSNBY Emergency Department SEES RED
Simply RRED (l-r) Bridget Jelfs, Deb Stewart, Rebecca Wilkins, Alex Nanlohy, Dr Jackie Ward
It is simple by name but Simply RRED is serious about patient safety at Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital’s Emergency Department.
Launched on Valentine’s Day with a sea of red covering the Emergency Department, Simply RRED is a multi-disciplinary designed initiative by ED nurses and doctors to formalise the clinical review process of deteriorating patients. While ED staff have always routinely reviewed deteriorating patients to prevent serious outcomes, SIMPLY RRED is about formalising the approach, with a dedicated Team RRED comprising of an Emergency Specialist, junior doctor and nurses and specific IT support. Hornsby Ku-ring-Gai Hospital’s Emergency Director Clare Skinner
deteriorating patient without first needing to discuss the case with a senior doctor. “We have always tried to review all deteriorating patients in ED but the new system will ensure we won’t miss patients who could potentially fall through the cracks,” she said. “Importantly, this creates a research and audit trail so we can see how we are tracking with reviewing unstable patients and their subsequent clinical outcomes.” A new IT system gives emergency staff the ability to document and follow-up their management of deteriorating patients which will lead to an improvement in
patient safety and avoid potentially serious outcomes. Simply RRED includes both adult and paediatric patients and is unlike other systems in place, Dr Skinner said. “Clinical wards have Between the Flags which came into effect in 2009 and looks at deteriorating patients with abnormal vital signs, and we wanted to see what formal approach we could do in ED,” she said. “This is great for Hornsby and I am really proud of what the staff have come up with as it shows the strength of our ED which works well together, both doctors and nurses.”
said Simply RRED gives junior members of staff a voice as they could raise a review of a
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