Nursing Triage

SUMMARY

A position responsible for nursing care under the supervision of physicians and clinical services manager.

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Talks directly to patients on the telephone and then directs them to emergency rooms or urgent care centers or to see their physician during office hours.
2. Performs short evaluation of the patient situation to estimate severity of illness and/or injury including learning about chief complaint and, as possible, obtaining vital sign and mental status information.
3. Determines urgency of seeing the patient based on brief assessment and on familiarity with a patient?s condition and history. May use computerized medical information database. Confers with physician as needed.
4. Send patients with high-risk complaints such as chest pain to ER immediately or arranges for ambulance. May provide appropriate home health advice to those patients who do not need to go directly to the ER.
5. Schedules appointments for patients who do not need to go to ER but need to see a physician.
6. Obtains, verifies, and records health history of patients. Gathers pertinent health data.
7. Obtains, verifies, and records health history of patients. Gathers pertinent health data.
8. Provides basic patient care as ordered. Administers medications and treatments as directed. Assists other health care professionals in performing exams, diagnostic procedures and treatments, and minor medical procedures. Adheres to infection control/ safety guidelines and confidentiality policies.
9. Documents assessments, patient/family responses, medication dispensed/prescribed, and test results in medical records.
10. Promotes wellness by providing patient education materials, communicating physician advice/instructions
11. Participation in scheduled staff in-services.
12. Performs other duties as assigned.