Perhaps no other patient safety intervention depends so acutely on effective interprofessional teamwork for patient survival than the hospital rapid response system. Yet, little is known about nurse-physician relationships when rescuing at-risk patients. This study compared nursing and medical staff perceptions of a mature rapid response system at a large tertiary hospital. Findings indicate that the rapid response system may be failing to address a hierarchical culture and systems-level barriers to early recognition and response to patient deterioration.

Although a 2-day educational preparation program was perceived as adequate, the practice setting must be reorganized to provide greater support for preceptors. Preceptors should be supported by providing continuing education, effective scheduling, and adequate time for learning and feedback in the clinical environment.