What Quick References do you have available at Triage?

Specialties Emergency

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Specializes in ED, Critical care, & Education.

What Quick References do you have available at triage?

For example, pediatric vital signs, ESI or other triage decision making criteria, Burn Rule of 9's, a picture of a hand with associated joints etc...

More importantly, what do you wish you had access to that would help with your decision making or documentation?

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Well, I'll disclose my double-standard:

When I had a lot less experience I routinely used the peds v/s reference and occasionally the ESI chart.

Now that I have a lot more experience...

And since excellent or inexperienced triaging can make or break any particular shift...

And since the stakes may be very high if wrong decisions are made...

I think the best resources to have available are intangible: 1) experience - lots of it 2) wisdom 3) an appropriately developed 6th sense.

I admit not being a fan of the trend that everyone should be allowed to do any old role in the ED. That trend is a direct result of hospitals not being willing or able to retain experienced ED RNs, and nothing more.

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I keep our orders protocols for reference.

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Specializes in ED, Critical care, & Education.
Well, I'll disclose my double-standard:

JKL33~

And since the stakes may be very high if wrong decisions are made...

I think the best resources to have available are intangible: 1) experience - lots of it 2) wisdom 3) an appropriately developed 6th sense.

I LOVE IT! So true! I was more thinking along the lines of how to help newer less experienced nurses in triage, although sometimes the experienced nurse likes those quick references too. There is definitely something to say about the years of experience, the "I've seen something like this before" (and the outcome wasn't good) etc. Thanks for chiming in! You made me smile.

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