Pilot program launched for code team responders at USA Health
USA Health provides ongoing safety training to ensure team members across the system understand their roles, follow current protocols, communicate effectively, and strive to work seamlessly across disciplines.
To standardize and enhance the delivery of care when responding to a patient experiencing potentially life-threatening distress, Children’s & Women’s Hospital held a new code team responder training course in August.
For the pilot program training, 10 registered nurses, including charge nurses, unit supervisors and educators took part. More training sessions are planned throughout the health system, said Ruth C. Solér-Johnson, MBA-HCA, BSN, RN, CEN, manager of USA Health’s Training & Simulation Center.
“This curriculum will ultimately progress to a multi-disciplinary code team responder training program at all three hospitals,” she said.
The curriculum was developed by team members from the Training & Simulation Center and supported by a collaborative partnership with the University of South Alabama Simulation Program.
“This vital hands-on training is designed to strengthen our collective clinical response during in-hospital / interfacility transport code events,” Solér-Johnson said. “It reinforces best practices rooted in evidence in emergency and critical care according to national regulatory standards at USA Health, including but not limited to The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association's Get With the Guidelines - Resuscitation.”
USA Health's TASC Force, in collaboration with multi-disciplinary subject matter experts, created the course to serve as a pilot curriculum for standardizing code team responder training at University Hospital, Providence Hospital, Children’s & Women’s Hospital and critical care transport teams.
USA Health provides ongoing safety training to ensure team members across the system understand their roles, follow current protocols, communicate effectively, and strive to work seamlessly across disciplines. Regular training opportunities also reinforce USA Health’s shared safety culture so staff members are prepared to respond rapidly and accurately when life-saving care is needed.
Solér-Johnson said the project would not have been possible without support from USA Health's Quality and Performance Improvement team, plus nursing and administrative leadership.
