Purpose: The rapid response team is a patient safety system that detects symptoms and signs of deteriorating inpatients and provides intervention and treatment. This study analyzed the factors influencing the activation time of the team. Methods: This is a descriptive correlation study that analyzed the electronic medical records of patients activated by the rapid response team. The collection period was from January 2014 to December 2017. We analyzed 278 pieces of data activated by the rapid response team for patients aged 16 years or older at C University S Hospital in Seoul. We employed the SPSS 23.0 program for data analysis. Results: The reasons for activation of the rapid response team were oxygen saturation of less than 90.0%, other causes, and change in consciousness. The most common diagnosis of activated patients was respiratory failure (32.4%). The average activation time was 153.43±286.05 min. The activation time was shortest during convulsions (13.29±7.32 min). For patients with a history of kidney disease (B=0.58, p=.008), in case of surgery (B=0.55, p<.001), if the first symptom is mediated by the physician (B=0.53, p=.007) the active time is often extended. On the other hand, activation time is reduced when consciousness changes (B=-0.51, p=.002), especially when oxygen saturation is below 90.0% (B=-0.64, p<.001). Conclusion: Based on the results of the study, it is expected that patients deteriorating in the general ward would be recognized early, which will help in the effective activation of the rapid response team.