Kaiser Call Center Questions

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I've never done phone triage, but have an opportunity to apply to Kaiser Call Center as an Advice nurse. Any Kaiser RNs who have been there and done that? Do you follow a algorithm of some sort? Is there an override so you can ask your own questions.?Who do you have as available resources (MD, pharmacy, etc)? I'm an experienced med/surg RN but have no idea of the pros vs cons of this job. How long do you have to complete each call? How do you like working for Kaiser? Thanks in advance for all your feedback.

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No one???

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Specializes in Sub-Acute, SNF,ICU,AL,Triage, Cardiac.

You go through an intensive 6 week training with set algorithms that are proprietary information, and you do test scenarios with other students/nurses and the instructor. Toward the end of the program, you may start being able to take precepted calls (live call with instructor on the other line) before you are checked off as competent and released on duty. It is an excellent training program, and excellent job if you like it (I liked it for the short time I was there, but due to family issues had to relocate out of State where there was no Kaiser to transfer to).

One of the greatest values I picked up from it is doing triage mentally when faced with any patient care issue (including dealing with my own children's accidents and such at home), and doing the quick rules outs of an "emergent situation" (i.e. chest pain, severe facial swelling) vs urgent situation, when to call 9-1-1 or call the doc stat, etc.

They have statistics for calls, they vary. Some are just calling for appointment resetting, some for general questions, some for lab results, etc. but I believe the target was no more than 8 minutes per call. There is always an MD available (I am not sure on noc shifts), pharmacy too (by phone), supervisors you can flag down when you get the "suicide threat calls"

PROS: Its a sit down job great if you have physical problems, great benefits as Kaiser is known for, no overtime is expected unless you are asked or you volunteer, great pay

CONS: As soon as you log in, you take call after call after call after call until your break, lunch, break, end of shift. There are a few minutes of down time, but rarely, because since Kaiser goes with seniority, when volume is down, there is already a list of people who get to go home first thus sustaining the productivity all around.

That's a quick low down from me

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Thanks expltcrn for the detailed reply! I am very interested in the Advice RN position, but it is a risky move for me. I have seniority at my current job, work minimally with good benefits but little opportunity to move into a new area on a part time status. In this down economy, I am fearful of making a bad move. I'm the primary breadwinner for our family, and I do have small children, so changing jobs is a big decision for me. I also do like my current employer and wonderful co-workers, but am just tired of my specialty, and needing to make a change. I do know a KP advice RN, but she says it's very stressful, so I hesitate to make the move without knowing the job well. She has been doing it 10+ years. I think phone triage would be interesting, and I know some calls will be super stressful, as well as the time constraint. I am just ready to branch into a new area, and this seems like it might be a good match. I feel I have a solid foundation of nursing skills to build upon. I am physically able to still do bedside nursing, but it's the critical thinking and "new area" aspect of this job that appeal to me. Thanks again for your insights!

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Specializes in Sub-Acute, SNF,ICU,AL,Triage, Cardiac.

Have you explored the ability to keep both while making a decision? Just a thought. The other thing to consider, is that once your are in the Kaiser system, you can request a transfer if advice nursing is not your cup of tea.

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Thanks for the ideas. Yes, I thought about keeping both positions, but it would be too difficult. Not sure what I will do, but we'll see if KP even calls me back. I took the pre-assessment testing and am waiting to hear back from the recruiter. Thanks again!

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Thank you for the post expltcrn! I too am considering applying for a position with the Kaiser call center (I currently work for Kaiser on an inpatient med-surg floor). I'm a fairly new nurse though- 3 years experience, but I've done quite a bit- tele, TCU, stroke, vascular, med-surg.

One of my big questions is about the pay. Is it the same rate as a floor RN? Also, the job listings I saw were for 6 hr shifts-- 3:00-9:30 PM. Do you know if you HAVE to take a lunch with a 6 hr shift? Once you get in the system, do you see many openings for 8 hr shifts? Does the time go by quickly or drag? Being on the floor, 8 hrs zooms by...I'm wondering how it would be behind a computer all night. Also, have you heard of any RNs working from home doing this? Thank you very much!

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Does anyone know if you can do telephone work for Kaiser if you live in a different area? I live in South Dakota, and there is no such thing available out here in the boondocks. Thanks for any help you can give me.

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cool job!

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Hello,

I am interested on the job but I do have a lot of questions. I am wondering if there are any changes about this job. Is there a high turn over rate? If so, for what reason. Do you feel like the job is not as stressful as working at bedside? I currently work in ER and feel like I need a change. Do you feel like you get a lot of support from management? What will happened if you need help in the middle of a call? Do you receive call or video call? Are they recorded? 
 

thank you for your time! 

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Specializes in NICU/Telephone Triage.
On 9/10/2010 at 7:07 PM, dec2007 said:

Does anyone know if you can do telephone work for Kaiser if you live in a different area? I live in South Dakota, and there is no such thing available out here in the boondocks. Thanks for any help you can give me.

This is an old post but you have to live within an hour of the call center to work as a Kaiser advice nurse

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Specializes in NICU/Telephone Triage.
On 7/14/2022 at 6:13 PM, MariaRN said:

Hello,

I am interested on the job but I do have a lot of questions. I am wondering if there are any changes about this job. Is there a high turn over rate? If so, for what reason. Do you feel like the job is not as stressful as working at bedside? I currently work in ER and feel like I need a change. Do you feel like you get a lot of support from management? What will happened if you need help in the middle of a call? Do you receive call or video call? Are they recorded? 
 

thank you for your time! 

Yes there is a high turnover because you will be micromanaged. It is a different kind of stress but it can even be more stressful than the bedside because you usually get 30-40 calls in 8 hrs with no break in between calls. I look at them as patients, so 30 patients a shift. All calls are recorded. No video calls. There is mostly just criticism from management. You can put the caller on hold and ask a manager for help. You have access to calling an MD too.

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