Recognising and responding to acute deterioration in adult patients

Serious adverse events in hospitalised patients, including medical emergencies and mental health complications, such as suicide, violence, and aggression, are often preceded by abnormal clinical observations. Early identification of these abnormalities allows for a prompt and effective response that can improve outcomes, lessen the complexity of interventions required to stabilise the patient, and prevent in-hospital mortality. All acute care settings in Australia must maintain effective systems for recognising and responding to acute deterioration. This course describes the specific actions nurses can take to effectively identify and respond to a deteriorating patient.

Target Audience

Nurses and midwives

Business Outcomes

This course is aligned to Standard Eight (Recognising and responding to acute deterioration) of the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards. The ACSQHC requires all health systems to have comprehensive protocols in place to ensure that any patient who deteriorates receives appropriate and timely care.