COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Sharisse Hebert

TITLE: IMPROVING HOT DEBRIEF COMPLETION RATES AFTER RAPID RESPONSE TEAM EVENTS THROUGH QR CODE ACCESS AND DIGITAL REMINDERS: A QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

ABSTRACT: Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) are critical for stabilizing acutely deteriorating patients. However, structured hot debriefs, which are brief reflections held immediately after emergencies, are inconsistently documented, despite benefits for communication, safety, and staff well-being. At a large academic hospital in Southeast Texas, only 35.76% of RRT events in 2025 included completed hot debrief forms. A January 2025 hospital-led survey of Clinical Emergency Response Team (CERT) Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) identified barriers such as time constraints, limited access, and forgetfulness. Purpose: This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project (QI) evaluated whether a bundled intervention, QR code access to forms, twice daily SMS reminders (9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.), and brief education, increases hot debrief documentation rates after RRT events. Methods: Guided by the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) framework, this pre- and post-intervention design was implemented at a large academic hospital in Southeast Texas. The project involved 40 CERT APRNs conducting adult inpatient debriefs across about 729 RRT events in three months. Microsoft Forms was used for secure data collection, and pre-/post-surveys assessed perceived barriers and attitudes. Intervention activities included QR code distribution, scheduled twice-daily SMS reminders (9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.), and structured debriefing education. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests compared pre- and post-intervention documentation rates. The approach offered a scalable, cost-effective strategy to enhance communication, support staff recovery, and strengthen safety learning.

Keywords: Hot Debrief, Rapid Response Team, QR Code, Digital Reminder, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, Quality Improvement, Emergency Response, Documentation Compliance, PDCA Cycle

Location Online:

Zoom Link: https://pvpanther.zoom.us/j/96912933947?pwd=7JtIHymgoSbo0fIJCofRaQJAiTVN4N.1

Meeting ID: 933 2678 4995

Passcode: 467899