Question as a new telephone triage nurse

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I have been working as a telephone triage nurse for 2 months now. I have a couple of questions.

1) How do you not follow through with what happens to the patient?

2) Are you often challenged by people at the practices you triage for?

3) Do you feel like you've been hired as a call center agent and not a nurse?

I'm struggling with this job. I've been a nurse for over 10 years now and enjoy this telephone triage nursing but I have a boss who is all business and doesn't comprehend a nurse's need to follow through and make sure her pt she spoke with was cared for. I've also been told not to leave messages with doctors but with the MA's who don't always pass the message on to the doctor. I'm afraid of my license becoming jeopardized because someone else isn't acting with the same concern for the patient that I am. I fear I'll be fired tomorrow for leaving an important message with a doctor because the MA chose not to pass it on to the doctor. The doctor needs to know because (and I'm not being dramatic) the patient could die. My boss tells me I did my part and now it's on them. I can't live with that. Any advice would be appreciated.

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Specializes in 25 years NICU 5 years Telephone Triage.

I sent you a PM

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Hi I also wanted to get more info about being an advice nurse

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Specializes in Traveling Med-surg- Ortho RN.

Would love to know more about the same. Hopefully someone can chime in.?

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I am a triage nurse for multiple primary practices. I work really hard to establish relationships with the offices first. MA'S are the heartbeat of primary offices so you need to respect them accordingly.

I use Clear Triage as a format and document in many areas. redundant documentation for me is the killer and remember working from home you will be evaluated and micromanaged constantly. Think of it as a constant improvement opportunity and you will do fine.

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Specializes in ICU.
On 8/13/2019 at 8:22 PM, chriscutswood said:

I have been working as a telephone triage nurse for 2 months now. I have a couple of questions.

1) How do you not follow through with what happens to the patient?

2) Are you often challenged by people at the practices you triage for?

3) Do you feel like you've been hired as a call center agent and not a nurse?

I'm struggling with this job. I've been a nurse for over 10 years now and enjoy this telephone triage nursing but I have a boss who is all business and doesn't comprehend a nurse's need to follow through and make sure her pt she spoke with was cared for. I've also been told not to leave messages with doctors but with the MA's who don't always pass the message on to the doctor. I'm afraid of my license becoming jeopardized because someone else isn't acting with the same concern for the patient that I am. I fear I'll be fired tomorrow for leaving an important message with a doctor because the MA chose not to pass it on to the doctor. The doctor needs to know because (and I'm not being dramatic) the patient could die. My boss tells me I did my part and now it's on them. I can't live with that. Any advice would be appreciated.

This is why there are always telephone triage nursing jobs available because it is essentially a call center job.

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Sorry to go off topic a little.  Am retiring from a federal clinic position in 2022.  I worked for four months in a sweatshop Kaiser east coast Telephone Advice nurse position years ago, is there any tele nurse position that is good will be looking early 2022.  Thanks

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