Triage in the ED

[Horton]

We have been discussing EMTALA and triage and the nurse practice act (Texas) and so forth. The State Board of Nursing states that an RN must make the initial assessment and develop a plan of care for the patient. Does this mean that a RN is required to perform triage? I believe that triage is an initial assessment to develop the plan of care (what order the patients will be seen). I wonder if some experienced ED nurses are out there who could answer this question for me. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Jim

[twright]

Triage means "to sort" so you are correct when you say it is used to priortorize the order in which patients are seen by their acuity as well as other factors. The plan of care is the responsibility of the RN/MD collaboratively in most ED's. After you identify the problem the patient has come to the ED for, your plan of care is your documentation of the diagnostics, procedures, medications and other nursing implementations that are used while in your ED. It is probably not labled on most ed forms as plan of care. Sometimes it is found on the flowsheets or nursing notes. Most of the regulating agencies would like for it to be more clearly identified. As a nurse it is your responsibility to make sure the documentation of the patients response to those things that you have implemented is present and identifable. I'm sure you probably have all those things included in your ED chart already. Hope this was helpful.