Triage and the LPN role

[needsmore$]

Currently, our ED (community hospital) uses an RN/ ED Tech and a greeter person at triage area.

The greeter is the traffic director; the ED Tech assists the RN with triage eval, first aid, VS if needed. They also help the RN with rechecks of pts in the WR that are waiting for a treatment area to open up.

My manager wanted some information about utilizing an LPN with the triage RN. Does anyone do this and if so- can you give me links to references to help me develop some start of program??

The LPN would not be the TRIAGE nurse- but would help with the documentation part- allowing the RN to do the fast rapid triage assessments as new patients arrive. I was thinking that if the RTA was done-then the pt could go to an interview area where the LPN could get more info (health history, meds, etc) and begin the computer documentation process (we use a computer based charting system)

Or maybe a floating bedside registration nurse, the TRIAGE nurse would assign the area, the LPN would then go to the pt's bedside to get the more in- depth info we defer at triage sometimes. (Entire PMH, all 50 different meds they're on, etc)?

We do not do telephone triage at our facility.

Any ideas?

Thanks

Anne

[TazziRN, RN]

I don't know about PA, but in CA it is illegal to utilize an LPN/LVN as a triage nurse. It HAS to be an RN at the least.