Medical-surgical nurses' perceived self-confidence and leadership abilities as first responders in acute patient deterioration events.

Aims And Objectives: To explore and understand medical-surgical nurses' perceived self-confidence and leadership abilities as first responders in recognising and responding to clinical deterioration prior to the arrival of an emergency response team.

Background: Patients are admitted to hospitals with multiple, complex health issues who are more likely to experience clinical deterioration. The majority of clinical deterioration events occur on medical-surgical units, and medical-surgical nurses are frequently the first healthcare professionals to identify signs and symptoms of clinical deterioration and initiate life-saving interventions.