Answering tasks and alerts for sepsis screening

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

When observations are recorded, Nervecentre evaluates the patient's NEWS National Early Warning Score. A vital signs recording and scoring system used with adult patients. The scoring system is designed to identify and alert appropriate staff in the case of deteriorating patients. and other risk factors against NICE thresholds. When Nervecentre identifies a patient with potential sepsis, it sends tasks to relevant 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.

Nervecentre sends the task Red High Risk Sepsis Think Task if a patient's NEWS National Early Warning Score. A vital signs recording and scoring system used with adult patients. The scoring system is designed to identify and alert appropriate staff in the case of deteriorating patients. is 7 or more, or their NEWS is equal to 5 or 6 and they have one other risk factor.

Nervecentre sends the task Amber Moderate Risk Sepsis Think Task if a patient's NEWS National Early Warning Score. A vital signs recording and scoring system used with adult patients. The scoring system is designed to identify and alert appropriate staff in the case of deteriorating patients. is 5 or 6 and they have no other risk factors, or their NEWS is between 1 and 4 and they have one other risk factor.

Nervecentre sends these tasks to 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 the patient has deteriorated since their last review, had chemo recently, or has a risk of neutropenic sepsis, select Yes concern of Sepsis/Deterioration since last review? or Any recent Chemo/Risk of Neutropenic Sepsis?.

    • The task closes

    • The clinical note 'Sepsis Screening' updates to Sepsis Suspected.

      Read more about the 'Sepsis Screening' clinical note

    • The tag SEPSIS appears under the patient's name.

    • The task 'Red High Risk Sepsis Doctor Alert' or 'Amber Moderate Risk Sepsis Doctor Alert' is sent to doctors with the patient on their patient list.

      Read more about the doctor's task

    • The task 'Red High Risk Sepsis Nurse Alert' or 'Amber Moderate Risk Sepsis Nurse Alert' is sent to you and any other nurses that have the patient on their patient list.

      Read more about the nurse's task

    • The alert 'Red High Risk Sepsis NIC Alert' or 'Amber Moderate Risk Sepsis NIC Alert' is sent to the Nurse in Charge.

      Read more about the NIC alert

    • Re-screening for sepsis is scheduled in 4 hours, as a safeguard in case the task 'Red High Risk Sepsis Doctor Alert' or 'Amber Moderate Risk Sepsis Doctor Alert' is not answered.

  • If the patient doesn't have an infection, select Not Sepsis - Alternative Diagnosis.

    • The task closes.

    • The clinical note 'Sepsis Screening' updates to show Sepsis Unlikely.

      Read more about the 'Sepsis Screening' clinical note

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

    • Re-screening for sepsis is scheduled in 6 hours, as a safeguard in case the patient's condition changes.

Nervecentre sends the task 'Red High Risk Sepsis Doctor Alert' if a nurse answers the task 'Red High Risk Sepsis Think Task' with Yes concern of Sepsis/Deterioration since last review? or Any recent Chemo/Risk of Neutropenic Sepsis?, or a nurse answers the task Amber Moderate Risk Sepsis Think Task with Any recent Chemo/Risk of Neutropenic Sepsis?.

Nervecentre sends the task 'Amber Moderate Risk Sepsis Doctor Alert' if a nurse answers the task 'Amber Moderate Risk Sepsis Think Task' with Yes concern of Sepsis/Deterioration since last review?.

Nervecentre sends these tasks to 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 Started.

      • The task closes.

      • The clinical note 'Sepsis Screening' updates to show Red Sepsis Treatment Commenced or Amber Sepsis Treatment Commenced.

        Read more about the 'Sepsis Screening' clinical note

      • The tag SEPSIS or SEPSIS appears under the patient's name.

      • Re-screening for sepsis is scheduled in 24 hours, as a safeguard in case the patient’s condition changes despite sepsis treatment being in place.

    • 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.

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

      Other users to know an assessment is in progress. The timestamp is for auditing and reporting in your organisation.

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

      • The task closes.

      • The alert 'This is NOT Red High Risk Sepsis' or 'This is NOT Amber Moderate Risk Sepsis' is sent to nurses with the patient on their patient list.

        Read more about the 'this is not sepsis' alert

      • The clinical note 'Sepsis Screening' updates to show Sepsis Unlikely.

      • Re-screening for sepsis is scheduled in 6 hours, as a safeguard in case the patient's condition changes.

  2. When treatment is complete, set the 'Sepsis Screening' clinical note to Sepsis Treatment Completed.

    Read more about recording treatment as completed

Nervecentre sends these tasks to 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 the task 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 the alert 'Red High Risk Sepsis NIC Alert' if a nurse answers the task 'Red High Risk Sepsis Think Task' with Yes concern of Sepsis/Deterioration since last review? or Any recent Chemo/Risk of Neutropenic Sepsis?, or a nurse answers the task Amber Moderate Risk Sepsis Think Task with Any recent Chemo/Risk of Neutropenic Sepsis?.

Nervecentre sends the alert 'Amber Moderate Risk Sepsis NIC Alert' if a nurse answers the task 'Amber Moderate Risk Sepsis Think Task' with Yes concern of Sepsis/Deterioration since last review?.

Nervecentre sends these alerts to the Nurse in Charge.

This is an alert with no follow-on activities.

  • Select Acknowledged.

Nervecentre sends the alert 'This is NOT Red High Risk Sepsis' if a doctor answers the task 'Red High Risk Sepsis Doctor Alert' with Not Sepsis Alt. Diagnosis.

Nervecentre sends the alert 'This is NOT Amber Moderate Risk Sepsis' if a doctor answers the task 'Amber Moderate Risk Sepsis Doctor Alert' with Not Sepsis Alt. Diagnosis.

Nervecentre sends these alerts to nurses with the patient on their patient list.

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 Sepsis Treatment Completed.

Answering tasks and alerts for sepsis screening on a desktop

Depending on your permissions, on a desktop you can:

  • Answer some tasks for sepsis screening

    Including 'Red High Risk Sepsis Doctor Alert', 'Amber Moderate Risk Sepsis Doctor Alert', 'Red High Risk Sepsis Nurse Alert', and 'Amber Moderate Risk 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.

  • Set the clinical note 'Sepsis Screening' to Sepsis Treatment Completed

  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's name.

  4. Select one of the following options:

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

      • The task closes.

      • The clinical note 'Sepsis Screening' updates to show Red Sepsis Treatment Commenced or Amber Sepsis Treatment Commenced.

        Read more about the 'Sepsis Screening' clinical note

      • The tag SEPSIS or SEPSIS appears under the patient's name.

      • Re-screening for sepsis is scheduled in 24 hours, as a safeguard in case the patient’s condition changes despite sepsis treatment being in place.

    • 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.

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

      Other users to know an assessment is in progress. The timestamp is for auditing and reporting in your organisation.

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

      • The task closes.

      • The alert 'This is NOT Red High Risk Sepsis' or 'This is NOT Amber Moderate Risk Sepsis' is sent to nurses with the patient on their patient list.

        Read more about the 'this is not sepsis' alert

      • The clinical note 'Sepsis Screening' updates to show Sepsis Unlikely.

      • Re-screening for sepsis is scheduled in 6 hours, as a safeguard in case the patient's condition changes.

  5. When treatment is complete, set the 'Sepsis Screening' clinical note to Sepsis 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's name.

  4. Select one of the following options:

    • If you've started the task 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 Sepsis Treatment Completed.

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