Just need some more info

Editorial Team / Admin · Aug 13, 2019

Hello abu123,

We moved your topic to the Telephone Triage Nursing forum for the best response.

chriscutswood · Aug 14, 2019

I just started as a telephone triage nurse 2 months ago. Basically I answer medical calls that the call center agents are not qualified to answer. I ask the patient a lot of questions to get an idea of what may be going on with them and then I provide teaching and advise them and I make appts. I tell them s/s to call back with or to go to the ER with. Then in the EMR I open a case (basically document) the case and send it to the provider's staff at the patient's clinic. Not too hard yet but we only have 3 clinics we're answering phone calls for so far.

The most challenging part is making sure the patient gets taken care of by the office. I'm meeting with a lot of resistance there but hope to instigate change for the better....or die trying.

Sometimes the strength within is the small voice that says, "You got this. Just keep moving forward."

abu123, BSN, MSN, RN · Aug 14, 2019

9 hours ago, chriscutswood said:
I just started as a telephone triage nurse 2 months ago. Basically I answer medical calls that the call center agents are not qualified to answer. I ask the patient a lot of questions to get an idea of what may be going on with them and then I provide teaching and advise them and I make appts. I tell them s/s to call back with or to go to the ER with. Then in the EMR I open a case (basically document) the case and send it to the provider's staff at the patient's clinic. Not too hard yet but we only have 3 clinics we're answering phone calls for so far.
The most challenging part is making sure the patient gets taken care of by the office. I'm meeting with a lot of resistance there but hope to instigate change for the better....or die trying.
Sometimes the strength within is the small voice that says, "You got this. Just keep moving forward."

Thank you! Im trying to think if it is a good job for me. I have never tried it. At the same time I am not thr type of person who loves talking on the phone.

ILoveHorsesRN, ADN · Aug 27, 2019

Being a telephone triage nurse his hard. Yes, you are on the computer and typing your whole shift. Sometimes it feels like we are 911 operators. People call with screaming kids in the background who just got injured. People can also be rude and entitled. They are eating in the background, talking to other people or even asking you to hold on during the call! I work for a big company. I take 40-50 back to back calls in 8 hours. You are following protocols which give you an outcome of either advice, appointment, ER or message the Dr's office. On top of all this you will receive scrutinizing grades of your calls, which are usually recorded.

Good luck! Any questions, PM me. This job is mentally taxing in my opinion.

abu123, BSN, MSN, RN · Sep 18, 2019

On 8/27/2019 at 10:12 AM, ILoveHorsesRN said:
Being a telephone triage nurse his hard. Yes, you are on the computer and typing your whole shift. Sometimes it feels like we are 911 operators. People call with screaming kids in the background who just got injured. People can also be rude and entitled. They are eating in the background, talking to other people or even asking you to hold on during the call! I work for a big company. I take 40-50 back to back calls in 8 hours. You are following protocols which give you an outcome of either advice, appointment, ER or message the Dr's office. On top of all this you will receive scrutinizing grades of your calls, which are usually recorded.
Good luck! Any questions, PM me. This job is mentally taxing in my opinion.

Thanks for the reply. I did not accept the job. I hate talking on the phone.

MountainNurse12 · Sep 23, 2022

Hi, I just started working phone triage, and am just wondering what the end of shift process is? I always get a call a minute before end of shift, so I am always leaving late. Do your companies allow you to transfer calls?