Triage

[mitchsmom]

Does your unit allow new nurses to do OB triage?

If not, how do you determine who is assigned to do it?

Thanks in advance for any feedback-

:)

[LDRNMOMMY, BSN, RN]

We have a 8 bed triage unit that is staffed by one RN most nights 2 if it is really busy, there are also triage techs that can do a lot, but it still hard having only 1 RN if it is really busy. You have to be "chosen" to do triage by the charge nurses and manager. Usually off orientation for at least 1 year and very confident and capable of handling anythigna and everythign that comes through the door. Not to mention able to deal with the MD's and CNM's with confidence.

WOW, that is very unsafe! At what point do they assign the second nurse? Even with two that seems borderline unsafe. The hospital I delivered at was a 5 bed unit and they had two nurses staffing it.

We have a three bed triage unit that is staffed by one nurse and one CNA or ST. You have to at least have two years L&D experience before you can be assginged there. Really the nurses are chosen in the same manner that your facility does it. However, if triage is full we have a nurse on the floor take the patients to L&D to be triaged.

We had a precip vag BREECH delivery in triage just a few weeks ago! I am lunch relief a few days a week in there. Thankfully nothing that exciting had happened in the 30 minutes I sometimes spend there!

[flytern]

We have 2 exam rooms that we use for triage. During orientation, RN's take their turn at triaging patients. Orientation last anywhere from 6weeks to 4 months depending on prior experience.

If the patient is in active labor, the triage nurse is that patient's nurse for the entire shift. Then someone else becomes the triage nurse.....

I like the idea of new nurses starting with a patient from the beginning, doing the paperwork, starting IV's..... Needless to say, if the patient is truely active, someone is always there to help you get them admitted.

Our triage area is in the middle of our LDRP rooms, so they are very centrally located. We have talked about having a separate area (w/6 beds)

for triage, but really can't staff it adequately.

:balloons: