Rn Pediatric Triage Nurse

BROCKTON NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH CENTER

POSITION SUMMARY:
This position is responsible for assisting the pediatric department staff with day to day issues. It consists of obtaining information, relaying the information to the appropriate person, or managing the information within the scope of a Registered Nurse (R.N.).
*Maintains a professional environment in a multi-provider, multidiscipline organization.
*Maintains a patient centered environment including but not limited to:
**Provision of care and advocate for all pediatric patients and their families based on prudent nursing judgment and acceptable standards of practice.
**Ensures that adequate medical and psychosocial needs are met.
**Performs tasks and procedures within the scope of a registered nurse (R.N) and legal guidelines of the Nurse Practice Act. Adheres to the Board of Registration in Nursing Regulations.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Graduate of an accredited school of nursing.
Current state licensure to practice in Massachusetts.
Maintains at least minimal amount of CEUs as required for nursing licensure.

• Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (C.P.R.) certified.

Bilingual Preferred.
MINIMAL KNOWLEDGE BASE:
Demonstrates knowledge of:
Nursing principles including disease process, certain examinations, observations, laboratory studies and appropriately apply these principles to patient care.
Nurse Practice Act/Code of Ethics.
Nursing Process.
Managed Care.
OSHA Guidelines.
Infection Control Standards
Adheres to the Joint Commission standards
Emergency Procedures.
Moderate Computer skills.
REPORTS TO: Charge Nurse, Assistant Director of Nursing and Director of Nursing.
PROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR:

• Demonstrates characteristics of accountability and responsibility.
• Is reliable and dependable as demonstrated by excellent attendance, punctuality, and completeness of tasks.
• Maintains excellent listening and communication skills.
• Maintains patient confidentiality at all times.
• Maintains discretion of conversation in work areas.
• Is pleasant, courteous, and considerate of patients and co-workers.
• Demonstrates ability to prioritize demands, work with distractions, adapt to change, exercise efficient time management, work independently as well as on a team, and work with minimal supervision.
• Interacts with escalated patients/family in an effort to de-escalate the patient/family, diffuse the situation, and assist in patient needs.
• Maintains appropriate chain of command.
• Attends at least 75% of all nursing staff meetings and attends other clinic meetings when scheduled.

TRIAGE ASSESSMENTS:

• Maintains a systematic assessment to determine the patient’s needs.
• Assess patient’s health concern; with or without visual inspection.
• Interview the patient, the patient’s parents or legal guardian to obtain a history of the concern to make an accurate assessment.
• Determine if the patient’s signs and symptoms require an appointment with a provider, an emergency room need, or if it is within the scope of the nurse.
• Assign a triage priority based on observation and/or available information.
• Provide a plan to follow up with the primary care provider (PCP) and give clear instructions on how to care for the patient until the next visit.
• Provide reassurance to the patient, parents or legal guardian on how to help with the symptoms.
• Educate families about normal child development and common childhood illnesses.
• Triages:

**Telephone Triages – Receives calls/Tasks, assess the nature and severity of the calls, and follows up on the caller’s needs. Documents the call in the electronic medical record. Telephone calls of non-patient, non-urgent/emergent are to be responded to and completed within two (2) business days. All patient related telephone calls are to be responded to on the same day.

**Walk-In Triages – Assesses the patient’s chief complaint and follows the visit through to completion. Documents the triage visit.

• Call patients in follow up to an acute illness (such as fever, dehydration, etc.). Call patients in follow up to Emergency Department visits and hospitalizations. Document telephone call.

TASKS – included but not limited to:
Patient preparation for visit.
*Appropriately prepare patient for either a complete physical, sick visit, or follow up visit; or a gynecological exam.
*Vital Signs: blood pressure, temperature, pulse (all points).
*Obtain interpretation when needed.
*Chart documentation.
*Measurements: Height, Weight, and (other measurements as needed).
*Documentation of reason for visit, medication review, allergy review.
*Care of equipment: properly handles, cleans, and stores all equipment.
Patient tests/treatments.
Audio acuity testing Ear irrigation.
*Electrocardiogram (EKG).
*Visual acuity testing.
*Injections – Intramuscular (I.M.), Subcutaneous (S.C.), Intradermal (I.D.),
Z-track.
*Medication administration.
Dose calculations.
*Peak flow meter.
*Oxygen administration.
*Oxygen saturation.
*Nebulizer treatment.
*Staple/suture removal.
*Laboratory Tests.
CLIA Waived Tests and Quality Controls. Pap Smear Handling.
*Refill Medications: Fluoride, Vitamins, Motrin, Tylenol, OCP’s Asthma and Allergy medication if the patient has been seen in the past six (6) months.
*Assist with yearly flu clinic.
*Nurse Visits: Assist with the nurse visit schedule as assigned.
QUALITY ASSURANCE/IMPROVEMENT:

• Quality assurance monitoring – participates in the betterment of the health center through studies and reviews as necessary.
• Goal setting – assess personal, team, and organization goals.
• Participates in devising, reviewing, and revising policies, procedures and protocols.

Maintains a log of telephone calls. Submits a monthly report on this information. Maintains a log of walk-in triages. Submits a monthly report on this information.
TEAMWORK ORIENTATION:

• Maintains and encourages teamwork approach.
• Flexibility – maintains flexibility in employee time schedule, duties, and procedural functions.
• Maintains consistent effort to further goals by modifying and/or improving individual procedures and tasks.
• Conflict Management.

**Demonstrates and implements effective problem solving.
**Identifies tasks and operational problems. Generates solutions, discuss solutions the charge nurse, supervisor, or Clinical Director and implements as directed by the charge nurse, supervisor, or Clinical Director.
**Manages conflict with staff/patients appropriately.
**Maintains and encourages good communication skills.
Participates in orientation and training of new staff and/or students. **Interface with providers and other departments.
WORK CONDITIONS:
Works in a busy community health center in a downtown business district. Long hours are sometimes required.
Eligible for remote work; primary need onsite
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Physical demands requiring lifting of small pieces of equipment, boxes, and/or patients not to exceed forty (40) pounds. Mostly standing and walking required. Visual acuity sufficient for frequent reading. Hearing acuity sufficient for holding conversation with or without audio devices.