Connect

You've likely seen them running by in their red shirts — bags full of medical supplies. You've probably heard the stories about their lifesaving care, or maybe you were even around some time when they arrived on scene to help stabilize a rapidly deteriorating patient. These highly skilled and dedicated critical care nurses that you know and trust are members of UVA Health's Medical Emergency Team (MET). 

“We are 11 very experienced nurses with diverse experiences and a broad understanding of different patient populations,” explains Nurse Manager Matt Henrich, MSN, RN. “Our mission is to provide critical care and emergency treatment to University Medical Center’s procedural, acute care, and intermediate care areas that don’t have critical care and emergency treatment. We help our colleagues here in the hospital take care of their patients who have a change in condition for the worse.”

‘We Strive to Be the Calm’

Sometimes referred to as a “rapid response,” “in-hospital paramedic,” or “SWAT” team — MET gets pages hundreds of times a month from other clinicians, patients, and family members. They are also involved in the stroke alert process, a member of the code response team, and backup for UVA Medic V (a branch of the Medical Transport Network including emergency medical technicians and paramedics). MET even is reached through Epic, which is programmed to automatically alert them to certain patient conditions. Calls or pages come in for unresponsiveness, critical lab values, respiratory distress, hypotension, hypertension, chest pain, cardiac arrhythmias, and cardiac arrest. Depending on what others calls they have, one or two team members are dispatched. But no matter who responds or what they find at bedside — MET nurses are ready to act.

“When we walk into a situation, it can be very stressful for caregivers, family members, and the patient,” says Sarahbeth Thomas, BSN, RN. “We strive to be the calm in all of that, especially for staff members who may be encountering a critical situation for the first time. We quickly get a feel for the patient's main complaints and try and stabilize them and get them comfortable. We are the patient’s biggest advocate in that moment, so we always make sure we understand and align with their goals.”

Doug Wood, BSN, RN, a nurse for more than 30 years, adds, “Sometimes, we have to check our egos and remember that it's not about being 'right' — it's about doing what's best for the patient.”

After providing stabilizing interventions, dispatched MET nurses help determine if the patient needs to be transferred to a higher level of care. And then they’re off — getting ready for the next call. 

Forward-Thinking Strategy

MET often is recognized for quick, lifesaving responses — but that proactive approach is just as vital in preventing medical emergencies.

“We round on all the acute care units in the hospital once a shift,” explains Lauren Brill, BSN, RN. "We ask if they have any patients they're concerned about, any hot spots, anyone they anticipate might decompensate. Sometimes those rounds lead to us creating MET calls and getting the team to the bedside, and other times it’s just a good heads up that we might receive a call later. 

Beyond her clinical duties, Brill tracks several key metrics including number of calls per month, type and source, average call length, and interventions performed. She then collects all the data and reports out to the team on their activities and impact on patient outcomes.

Henrich adds that another way MET stays ahead of the curve is by connecting with new bedside nurses. “We have a good system in place for educating folks,” he shares. “Anytime a new nurse starts at the organization, we work with their departments to set them up for a three-hour shadow experience.”

Taking Care of the Care Team

As experienced clinicians, MET nurses know they need to take care of themselves and each other to continue to succeed in their roles. “Coming out of a really serious situation can feel heavy,” explains Henrich. “We may have different coping mechanisms, but we all need to decompress and take a breath. We joke around with each other to lighten the mood a bit and just make sure people are feeling good about how the day is going. We have each other's backs in that way.” 

Miranda Scott, BSN, RN, agrees. “One of my favorite parts of the job is the group of co-workers I have,” she shares. “It’s honestly really nice to be on a small team where we all make each other laugh and support each other."

Scott adds that the autonomy and learning opportunities on the team are also key to her job satisfaction. "I feel like I use everything I've learned as a nurse and yet I'm still learning every day. I get to fully utilize all my critical thinking skills and the autonomy of the role just allows me to do so much.”

This strong team dynamic is crucial to MET’s resilience and ability to deliver the best patient care. But it’s the gratitude from patients, families, and colleagues that is their greatest reward. “I was in the elevator on my way to work last week,” recalls Wood, “and a woman in there must have seen my red shirt peeking out from under my jacket. She said, ‘Oh, are you one of the red shirts? Wow, thank you so much. You guys are so great. You saved my husband!' We get that a lot and it’s amazing.” 

Doni Bernd, BSN, RN, who recently moved two hours away but kept her MET role, sums up what keeps the team going. “I love that we learn something new every day and that because people are often in crisis, there's such a wealth of gratitude — from the families, bedside nurses, and physicians. I love my work and am committed to staying in this position. In my 26 years of nursing, this is the best job I have ever had!"