Knowledge and perception of rapid response teams among nurses, physicians, and hospital administrators in Palestinian hospitals: a cross-sectional study

This study assessed the level of knowledge and perception of Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) among nurses, physicians, and hospital administrators in Palestinian hospitals. Enhancing patient safety and care quality remains a key concern for healthcare organizations. The RRT is a relatively new concept proven to reduce hospital-wide and intensive care unit mortality, as well as cardiopulmonary arrests. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 331 participants—nurses, physicians, and hospital administrators—from government and teaching hospitals in Palestine. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire to evaluate knowledge and perception of RRTs and the factors influencing them. Over half of the respondents (57.4%) demonstrated good knowledge, while 32.0% had moderate knowledge. A good perception level was found in 70.4% of participants. Most agreed that RRTs effectively manage emergencies when staffed by qualified personnel. Higher knowledge levels were associated with poor infrastructure (p<0.05) and greater workload (p=0.006). Longer working hours (p=0.014) and staff shortage (p=0.043) were associated with higher perception, and hospital administrators reported higher perception than nurses and physicians (p=0.014). Overall, nurses, physicians, and administrators in Palestinian hospitals showed a good level of knowledge and a positive perception of RRTs. Knowledge was higher among older, more educated participants and those reporting poor infrastructure or a heavier workload, while perception was higher among those reporting longer working hours or staff shortages, and among hospital administrators. Because the design was descriptive, these associations are exploratory and need confirmation in future research.