159: Nurse Led Stroke Alert Process with Kat Siaron RN

"There has to be a better way." We've all thought it. This episode is proof that nurses can be the ones to make it happen.

In this episode, Sarah is joined by Kat Siaron, rapid response nurse and co-author of the RRT STAR study that shows what happens when nurses are empowered to act before a clear stroke diagnosis is made. They walk through a patient case that exposed a dangerous gap in inpatient stroke response, traps like sedation hangover that mask stroke presentations, and how the nurse-led Code Stroke process has drastically improved time to crucial intervention.

You'll hear about the step-by-step workflow, where rapid response nurses and physicians fit in, and how you can advocate for change in your hospital.

Topics discussed in this episode:

The patient case that led to Kat’s RRT STAR studyWhy inpatient stroke times lag behind ER stroke timesThe consequences of ordering stat CT instead of Code StrokeSymptoms and prognosis of basilar strokeThe step-by-step Code Stroke processThe rapid response team's role in stroke activationResults and impact of the studyHow they overcame pushback to drive institutional changeStroke mimics and what to do nextHow to advocate for a nurse-led stroke alert at your hospital

Read Kat’s article, “Use of Rapid Response Teams to Expedite Imaging and Treatment for Inpatients With Acute Stroke:”

https://aacnjournals.org/aacnacconline/article-abstract/36/4/317/32912/Use-of-Rapid-Response-Teams-to-Expedite-Imaging?redirectedFrom=fulltext

Mentioned in this episode:

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