Rapid Response RN

Cardiac output equals heart rate times stroke volume… but what does that really mean and how does it apply to the bedside? This formula (CO = HR x SV) is crucial for nurses to understand in the application of vasopressors and inotropes, so why is it so difficult to memorize their role in improving cardiac output? This episode is dedicated to breaking down these life-saving medications so you can n...

Did you listen to Joey’s story in last week’s mystery episode? If you did and guessed rhabdomyolysis as his diagnosis, congratulations! Joey’s muscle injury from playing a little too hard at football camp resulted in a release of muscle proteins that ultimately caused his kidneys to shut down, which led to his diagnosis and treatment for rhabdomyolysis. In this episode, host Sarah Lorenzini examin...

Are you ready for some diagnosing fun?! In this episode, host Sarah Lorenzini will challenge your diagnostic skills with the mystery case of Joey, a 14-year-old patient who went from playing football at summer camp to being intubated in the ER. Joey presented with an altered mental status, and was tachycardic, tachypneic and febrile. Once in the ER, he went into ventricular tachycardia, his blood...

As host Sarah Lorenzini insightfully explains, “think of autonomic dysreflexia symptoms as the body's way of telling you something is wrong.” Autonomic dysreflexia is a medical emergency that occurs in patients with a spinal cord injury, but it can be hard to recognize because of the body’s confusing responses to stimulation. That’s why it’s crucial for nurses to understand this syndrome and preve...

Goals of care discussions are among the most difficult to navigate as a nurse, BUT there are ways to provide both comfort and clarity to patients and their families in these emotionally charged situations. In this episode, host Sarah Lorenzini and Hospice Nurse AJ share tips and insights on how to approach these challenging discussions with sensitivity and respect, all while keeping patient’s wish...

Orienting as a new Nurse in the ICU is much like climbing your first big mountain — both require basic knowledge, passion, and the ability to learn quickly and adapt in a demanding environment. But without these attributes, you have an arduous, possibly insurmountable journey ahead of you. In this episode, host Sarah Lorenzini and Sarah Vance RN delve into the controversial topic of new grads goin...

What’s your craziest, most shocking nursing story? In this episode, you’ll hear one of host Sarah Lorenzini’s most memorable stories as a rapid response nurse! Sarah recounts her experience treating a severe case of a prolapsed rectum, describing the unconventional yet effective approach that not only resolved the medical dilemma but caught the attention of Rapid Response RN listeners, becoming th...

Foreign objects in the bladder, urinary retention, priapism. These are just a few of the urological emergencies host Sarah Lorenzini is discussing with Dr. Shailen Sehgal! Nurses are the first line of defense in treating emergencies and play an important role in managing their care. In this episode, Dr. Shailen Sehgal explores these emergencies and shares great tips and tricks to treat conditions...

Snake bite care: where the cost and long-term complications can sting harder than the bite. Managing snake bites requires quick intervention, making it crucial for nurses to understand how to navigate this type of emergency. So in this episode, host Sarah Lorenzini welcomes Sealy RN to share her firsthand experience of being bitten. As a nurse who has also treated snake bites, she has great insigh...

How does AFib RVR escalate into a life-threatening situation in just 30 minutes? Join host Sarah Lorenzini as she reflects on a perplexing case of sympathetic crashing acute pulmonary edema, also known as flash pulmonary edema. This patient’s rapid deterioration led to an emergency intubation that perplexed the rapid response team, but the patient's true condition became clear in hindsight. In thi...

Host Sarah Lorenzini and Christian Guzman APRN are back to conclude this three-part heart failure series by examining the use of mechanical circulatory support for cardiogenic shock. This episode expands on the topics covered in previous parts, focusing on the application of mechanical circulatory support methods like the intra-aortic balloon pump, Impella, CentriMag, LVADs, and ECMO. Christian an...

Building on last week’s introduction to heart failure, this episode explores the nuances in the medical management of cardiogenic shock. Host Sarah Lorenzini and Christian Guzman APRN continue this three-part heart failure series by completing the case study of a patient in cardiogenic shock, and breaking down key treatment concepts and strategies. They discuss goal-directed therapy to optimize he...

During a normal day gardening, an active woman in her 60s was suddenly struck with chest tightness. Thinking it was just an asthma attack, she tried to let the pain pass. What she didn’t realize was that she was having a full blown myocardial infarction, and this was only the beginning of her journey. In this episode, host Sarah Lorenzini is joined by her friend, Christian Guzman APRN, to discuss...

Have you ever started a new and promising job, only to discover that it wasn’t the nurturing and supportive space you thought it was? In this episode, host Sarah Lorenzini, armed with nearly two decades of nursing experience in various departments and leadership roles, provides a guideline to spotting the red and green flags that can signal a healthy or hostile workplace. Sarah explores what makes...

You may already be familiar with the trauma triad… but in this episode, host Sarah Lorenzini is once again joined by her friend and critical care nurse and educator, Sarah Vance to break down a 4th component to trauma resuscitation. Last week, they discussed the treatment of a trauma patient with neuro and respiratory injuries, but today they’re getting into the “blood and guts” of trauma cases as...

If you hear “trauma” and immediately think of blood and guts, this episode with host Sarah Lorenzini’s friend, critical care nurse and educator Sarah Vance, will show you that there’s so much more to trauma cases. Because even localized injuries can affect the whole body, and issues can pile up and require conflicting treatments. That’s why trauma cases require an advanced level of assessment and...

Every nurse knows the havoc chemotherapy wreaks on the body, but most nurses aren’t as knowledgeable on how to treat chemo reactions as, say, chemo or oncology nurses. Even host Sarah Lorenzini is slightly intimidated by unpredictable reactions from chemotherapy! That’s why this episode is centered around those super scary chemotherapy reactions and how to treat them. To help us dive further into...

In this episode of Rapid Response RN , host Sarah Lorenzini is joined by Casey BSN, RN, CCRN-CMC, CFRN, CTRN, CEN, TCRN, CPEN, CNRN, NRP. And yes, you read her title right — Casey has a whopping eight certifications and is one of the few nurses with ALL five BCEN certifications. And she’s using her knowledge and skills to advocate for her patients and teach others. Today, Casey tells the story of...

Intubation is a life-saving intervention, but it can also kill your patient! That’s why this follow-up episode to last week’s patient story is covering the process of intubation, what can go wrong and how nurses can mitigate risk factors to avoid bad outcomes like cardiac arrest. In part two of this intubation series, host Sarah Lorenzini details proper intubation preparation and the role of nurse...

Patients get intubated in every department of the hospital… not just the ICU.  So it’s important that every nurse know the signs and symptoms of when it’s time to intubate. Our host Sarah Lorenzini, has been asked the same type of questions about intubation multiple times this week, so we felt it was necessary to address them. Sarah’s extensive knowledge and experience in critical care and ra...

September is Sepsis Awareness Month, so host Sarah Lorenzini is throwing it back to one of the earliest Rapid Response RN podcast episodes with guest Yesha APRN. This episode tells the story of a patient with sepsis, and it’s one of Sarah’s favorite episodes because it exemplifies all of the classic signs and symptoms of sepsis as well as the important role the nurse plays in caring for septic pat...

Often when a patient’s blood pressure has dropped, we administer fluids without truly knowing the exact reason for the change. Does the patient have low volume, were they vasodilating, or is their heart not squeezing effectively? Fluid resuscitation is not always the answer, but there’s no clear guideline to assess patients without advanced tools that take time and specialists. Enter the FloPatch...

We often are looking for an acidosis when patients present with lethargy but what about when it’s an alkalosis!? In last week’s episode with Annie Fulton RN of the “Up My Nursing Game” podcast, she and host Sarah Lorenzini presented a patient story but left the diagnosis a mystery.  You heard why Annie’s patient was admitted and her initial assessment, what caused her to think something more...

Can you guess what was causing this patient’s unexpected symptoms? This episode is a little different from the rest, thanks to you, our listeners, for submitting your suggestions and ideas for how these episodes should go, because we are all ears! One of our listeners suggested we do a mystery episode (thanks Shannon!), and we thought it was brilliant! So, on today’s episode, our host Sarah Lorenz...

“If you look for the bad, you’ll always find it. If you look for the good, you’ll always find it.” - Sarah’s grandmother In the second part of our two part series on nursing burnout, our host Sarah Lorenzini continues her conversation with Nurse Burnout Coach Janna Holterman, where they discuss how to reframe your mindset as a nurse to deal with burnout. We go to nursing school because we want to...