Telephone Triage: Building Bridges in Nursing Interventions

For the past years, Telephone Triage Nursing hastrips to the hospitals’ emergency rooms.
offered countless benefits and help to the citizensThe Nurse Triage is mainly responsible in taking
of America, especially to those who are notcalls of the patients and in assessing their
adept healthwise. Telephone triage, usually done incomplaints of headaches, chest pains, abdominal
medical call center, is the process of overseeingpains, difficulty in breathing, anaphylactic reactions
the overall health concerns and health condition ofto food or drug, queries about treatment of
the patient without the benefit of actualfever and common colds, newborn rashes, colicky
visualization and observation. With the triagepain, first aid treatment to minor burns, fractures,
nurses’ comprehension of theinjuries and poisoning especially in remote areas
pathophysiology of the infirmity and the normalwhere the accessibility of immediate medical
physiology of the human structure and theirattention and emergency rooms is not warranted.
impeccable therapeutic communication skills, theyDepending on the exigency of the situation, triage
are able to ascertain and formulate appropriatenurses are able to make referrals in seeking
nursing diagnosis to the pathologic condition of thesecond medical opinions especially when the
patient calling for their help.patient’s problem is not covered by the
In almost 20 years of providing Care Managementscope of the nursing practice.
Services to their patient, CareNet’sThe telephone triage is not intended to make
telephone triage has managed to improve andmedical diagnoses over the phone but to
maintain the health of their patients through highformulate an apposite nursing diagnosis based on
level communications, reassuring attitudes,the presenting signs and symptoms of the patient.
conscientious listening and supportive approach inBy doing so, the triage nurse is able to lay out a
proving quality care and nursing interventions.plan of care and provide nursing interventions that
The computer era has made everything possibleaddress the patient’s needs. As soon as an
to telephone triage. Now, communication isintervention is implemented and relief of
exchanged without hindrances, thus allowingcomplaints is achieved, a nurse triage is still
appropriate actions to be promptly implemented.responsible in making follow-up calls especially to
With the use of specified protocols and solethose patient’s who are at high risk of
discernment of the patient’s status bydeveloping complications if not taken care of early.
means of categorizing their needs for immediateThe follow-up calls involve reassessment of the
medical and or nursing attention, telephone triagepatient’s status or to make certain that
nurses are able to prioritize and ascertain whichapt management of the illness is pursued.
patient case is likely urgent or less life-threatening.Other than having an excellent communication
By doing so, the triage nurses can either makeskills, telephone triage nurse must have astounding
necessary referrals or manage the caselistening skills and be able to notice non-verbal
themselves as long as it falls in the nursingclues that the client is giving out like anxiety, pain,
jurisdictions. The goal here is to direct the patientand the how they are able to understand the
on the proper concentration of support in a timelyhealth teachings. The telephone triage nurse must
manner to reduce if not avoid pointless andbe able to analyze the situation and work under
redundant visits to the doctors’ clinics andpressure and be able function with autonomy.