# of triage nurses

[Uptoherern]

a question.........the er where I work generally sees 80-100 people per day, but can go much higher in the busier winter months. (130).

How many triage nurses do you have for this type of pt. load? We only have 14 beds, + 5 fast track beds.

We have one triage nurse, which can be really over whelming. esp., when you are out there, on your own, for 12 hours.

At times, I may have 20 people to triage, with more coming in the doors. I'm hoping for ammunition to ask for a second triage nurse before winter falls on us.

[Uptoherern, RN]

geez, how did you train your PA's to triage pts? I don't think our group would ever go for that.

[mamanaynay]

when you triage pts. in fast track, who does the triage? I am usually trying to triage as fast as I can, so can't see it being ME who triages them in fast track.The nurse is fast track is usually an LPN.

We also don't have a "greeter" RN. Which would be nice.............$$$$

A tech would be great also, but according to State rules, the first person to greet a pt. coming in to the ER for treatment has to be an RN. As I am normally either A. triaging a pt., or B. taking a triaged pt. to the back to a rm., or C. triaging a pt. (that I think is critical, such as the lady with sats of 42:eek: ) IN a room.....it is unrealistic to think that I can also be the one to greet them at the waiting room counter: like McDonald's or something. Our state has also issued that an RN must be the one to take initial vitals. The tech can place the b/p on the pt, and place electrodes but the nurse is supposed to push the button. How insane is that?

We get incredibly insanely busy in the winter months. I have no objection to working my butt off (& expect everyone elso to also); but I do object to working in unsafe situations.

hoping to hear from others, and other suggestions. thanks

What state do you live in? How do I find out if Illinois requires the greeter person to be an RN?

[Maverick80]

on a good day:rolleyes: we have 3 RN's 1-2 tech's.

The tech's which is what i am at the moment until i finish my BSN and take state boards.

We are able to do, Vital's, blood draws, EKG's, and help print and put together patients charts, and transport them back to the rooms and hook them up to a monitor if needed.

We have a 35 bed ED that currently see's over 60,000 patients a year. We expainding to a 40 bed here in the next few weeks!!

[Uptoherern, RN]

What state do you live in? How do I find out if Illinois requires the greeter person to be an RN?

arizona. my understanding is that this is a law enacted by the state. So I suppose you'd have to find out from the state of IL.

[NewEDRN]

My ED is currently 23 actual beds, but when add in halls can take 32 pts at a time in the back. We have one triage nurse, one tech to do vitals, and admission people are all in same place in triage. They decide if pt goes to fastrack, waits, or comes right to the back. If fastrack, the LPN calls their own pts to there, if goes to the back, charge nurse will assign bed, and will get charts of waiting people by order to call. Fast track closes at 2, and we don't have a triage nurse after 3. So at 3, charge nurse does all triage, bed and nurse assignments, and will take pts if we are still really busy. We see 150-250 pts per day, and are expanding our ED to 40 beds, 11 fast track next month, so don't know how triage will work then.

[Arkansas RN]

We see 120-140 ppd with 14 ED beds and 7 NUC beds (open 11a-11p) with 1 RN and 1 CNA 3a-11a; 2RNs and 1 CNA from 11a-7p and 11p-3a; and 3RNs and 1CNA from 7p-11p. Due to volume increases, we are going to 3RNs and a CNA from 11a-3a Oct 1. We initiate all standing orders in triage and usually have up to 6hr waits. In process of going to 40 ED beds and 14 NUC beds by next year. Don't have a clue where they are going to get the MDs and RNs to staff it!

[ednurseeducator]

We have 2 triage nurses, a rapid and a comprehensive. We use the 5 level triage system (CTAS). The rapid nurse greets the pt at the door and does a quick eyeball assessment and acuity rating based on CC. The comp nurse does the rest. The pre-registration clerk, pre-regs them and bands them, (three bands: one for name, one for allergies and a color coded band that tells the nurse what triage level they are). We have an any open bed policy, which means that if there is a bed open, the pt. skips comp and goes straight back. Copmp can be done anywhere. The tech in triage does the patients VS. We see approx. 150-175 a day.

[erdaynurse]

The ED I work in sees 150-200 patients per day. There is 1 triage nurse (we do 12-hour shifts) and 1 tech (sometimes no tech after 11pm). If a patient comes in via EMS, the patient is assigned a room and that nurse triages the patient. The triage nurse also triages fast track patients. Also, in our state, if an LPN or paramedic triages a patient, there must be an RN assessment done as well.