Answering tasks and alerts for sepsis screening

This article is for Nervecentre Sepsis Screening for NICE guidelines before February 2024.

When Nervecentre identifies an observation as a red flag for sepsis, it sends a task to the nurse whose patient list includes the patient. Depending on the nurse's response, other tasks might be sent to other clinicians.

Read the overview of the full sepsis screening workflow

Nervecentre's sepsis screening workflow is designed to work with your mobile device. You can manage sepsis screening tasks on a mobile, and you receive instant updates about potentially life threatening conditions.

You might also be able to manage some activities on a desktop, depending on your permissions. You won't get notifications or alerts on a desktop.

In Nervecentre, a task is a job offered to one or more staff members. Staff members receive a notification of the task on their mobile. They can accept or refuse the task.

Answering tasks and alerts for sepsis screening on a mobile

When you are offered a task, you can accept or decline the task:

  • To accept the task, select Accept.

    When you accept a task, the task is removed from the mobile of any other user who received the same task.

  • To refuse the task, select Decline.

    If everyone that received the task refuses the task, the Nurse in Charge receives an alert and the task is re-sent to all relevant users.

When you receive an alert, you can acknowledge the alert.

  • To acknowledge an alert, select Acknowledged.

Open tasks remain on your task list.

  1. View your task list.

    • On iOS, select Tasks.

    • On Android, select > Tasks.

  2. Select a task.

This task is sent to nurses with the patient on their patient list.

Select one of the following options:

  • If you believe that the patient has an infection, and you know the source of the infection, select Likely infection - source known.

    Nervecentre sends:

  • If you believe that the patient has an infection, but you don’t know the source of the infection, select Likely infection - source unknown.

    Nervecentre sends:

  • If the patient doesn't have an infection, select No. Alternative Diagnosis.

    • Nervecentre doesn't create any further tasks or alerts.

    • Sepsis re-screening is scheduled in 6 hours.

Nervecentre sends this task to doctors when the 'THINK could this be Sepsis?' task is answered with either of the likely infection options.

Nervecentre sends this task to all doctors or junior doctors with the patient on their patient list. When one doctor accepts the task, the task is removed from all other users' mobiles.

  1. Select one of the following options:

    • If sepsis is probable after your clinical examination, select Sepsis Likely, Rx commenced.

      • Nervecentre updates the 'Sepsis screening' clinical note to Sepsis treatment commenced.

        Read more about the 'Sepsis screening' clinical note

      • A red patient tag appears in the patient banner.

      • Nervecentre schedules re-screening for sepsis in 24 hours.

      • The task closes.

    • If you have started your assessment but have not made a formal decision on sepsis, select Assessment pending to apply a time-stamp to the task.

      • Nervecentre schedules re-screening for sepsis in 24 hours.

      • The task remains open. You can access the task from your task list.

    • If the patient doesn't have sepsis, select Not Sepsis, Alt. Diagnosis.

      Nervecentre:

      • Sends an alert to the Nurse in Charge informing them of no sepsis.

      • Updates the clinical note ‘Sepsis screening’ to show Sepsis unlikely.

      • Schedules re-screening for sepsis in 6 hours.

  2. When treatment is complete, set the 'Sepsis screening' clinical note to Treatment completed.

    Read more about recording treatment as completed

Nervecentre sends this task to nurses when the 'THINK could this be Sepsis?' task is answered with either of the likely infection options.

Nervecentre sends this task to all nurses with the patient on their patient list. When one nurse accepts the task, the task is removed from all other users' mobiles.

Select one of the following options:

  • If you've started your assessment but haven't finished your actions, select Started to apply a time-stamp to the task.

  • When you finish your sepsis actions, select Complete.

Nervecentre sends this alert to the Nurse in Charge when the 'THINK could this be Sepsis?' task is answered with either of the likely infection options.

This is an alert with no follow-on activities.

Select Acknowledged.

  1. From your patient list, select a patient.

  2. From Notes, select an appropriate clinical note profile.

  3. Select the clinical note Sepsis screening.

  4. Select Treatment completed.

Answering tasks and alerts for sepsis screening on a desktop

Depending on your permissions, you can view and answer some tasks and alerts on a desktop. For sepsis screening, you can answer the tasks 'High Risk Red Sepsis - Doctor Alert' and 'High Risk Red Sepsis - Nurse Alert'.

You don't receive tasks as a pop-up or notification on a desktop. View and answer tasks from the task summary shown on Patient Detail > Clinical.

You can set the clinical note 'Sepsis screening' to Treatment completed on a desktop.

  1. From  Inpatients > Patient List > double-click on a patient's name > Patient Detail > Clinical, find Tasks.

    By default, Tasks shows all tasks.

  2. To change or filter your view, select next to All Tasks and select an option.

  3. Find the task.

  4. To see more details, select next to the task's name.

  5. To assign the task to yourself, select next to the task's name, then select Assign to me.

    If you have the correct permissions, you can assign a task to yourself.

  1. From  Inpatients > Patient List > double-click on a patient's name > Patient Detail > Clinical, find Tasks.

  2. Find the task.

  3. Select ▼ next to the task name.

  4. Select one of the following options:

    • If sepsis is probable after your clinical examination, select Sepsis Likely, Rx commenced.

      • Nervecentre updates the 'Sepsis screening' clinical note to Sepsis treatment commenced.

        Read more about the 'Sepsis screening' clinical note

      • A red patient tag appears in the patient banner.

      • Nervecentre schedules re-screening for sepsis in 24 hours.

      • The task closes.

    • If you have started your assessment but have not made a formal decision on sepsis, select Assessment pending to apply a time-stamp to the task.

      • Nervecentre schedules re-screening for sepsis in 24 hours.

      • The task remains open, you can access the task from your task list.

    • If the patient doesn't have sepsis, select Not Sepsis, Alt. Diagnosis.

      Nervecentre:

      • Sends an alert to the Nurse in Charge informing them of no sepsis.

      • Updates the clinical note ‘Sepsis screening’ to show Sepsis unlikely.

      • Schedules re-screening for sepsis in 6 hours.

  5. When treatment is complete, set the 'Sepsis screening' clinical note to Treatment completed.

    Read more about recording treatment as completed

  1. From  Inpatients > Patient List > double-click on a patient's name > Patient Detail > Clinical, find Tasks.

  2. Find the task.

  3. Select ▼ next to the task name.

  4. Select one of the following options:

    • If you've started your assessment but haven't finished your actions, select Started to apply a time-stamp to the task.

    • When you finish your sepsis actions, select Complete.

  1. From  Inpatients > Patient List > double-click on a patient's name > Patient Detail > Clinical, find the summary of clinical notes.

  2. Select ▼ and select an appropriate clinical note profile.

  3. Select the clinical note Sepsis screening.

  4. Select Treatment completed.

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