Telephone Triage

[SunnyMindRN]

Would anyone mind explaining what a telephone triage nurse does? Is it basically answering patient calls and offering recommendations?? Do u have a paper to read for a certain scenario?

[klone, MSN, RN]

There's often a decision tree

[mama2]

I do a lot of telephone triage at my current job. Basically, you're answering patient phone calls and deciding whether they need to go to the ER, come in for an urgent visit, wait for next available apt. or try home care and follow up in a specified time frame. I bought a telephone triage book to make life easier, but eventually you get a feel for what questions are most important and which s/s warrant more immediate action.

[LuxCalidaNP]

In most clinics, Telephone Triage Nurses use a manual or protocol to respond to common complaints. But REMEMBER: You are not diagnosing or treating anyone over the phone, you are assessing and determining the LEVEL of care they need. E.g.: watchful waiting, home management, come to clinic this week, tomorrow, now, go to ED or 911 call to location.

Without protocols telephone triage is one of the riskier things we can do with our licenses...

I recommend: [h=1]Telephone Triage Protocols for Nurses [spiral-bound][/h]Julie K Briggs RN BSN MHA (Author)

[SunnyMindRN]

Than you all for your responses. It has been a great help.