POSITION SUMMARY

Under the general supervision of the Site Administrator, the Triage Nurse will be responsible for patient triaging, the nurse phone line, assist with nurse case management, nursing assessments, collaboration with providers and other departments, and provision of quality patient care in compliance with local, state and federal regulations and accreditation standards.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Monitors and responds to triage calls in person and/or on the nurse phone line.
• Talks directly to patients on the telephone and then directs them to emergency rooms (ERs), urgent care
• centers, and home care advice or to schedule patients to their physician during office hours.
• Determines urgency of seeing the patient based on brief assessment and on familiarity with a patient’s
• condition and history.
• Uses computerized clinical decision-making including algorithms that closely imitate physician logic and
• thought patterns, as guide.
• Sends patients with high-risk chief complaints such as chest pain, abdominal pain, or severe headaches to ER immediately or arranges for ambulance.
• Provides appropriate home health advice to patients who do not need to go directly to the ER.
• Ensures accurate notes of all consultations and treatments are recorded in the patients’ record via ECW.
• Arranges appointments for patients who do not need to go to ER but need to see a physician. Consults with
• physician as needed.
• Acts, when designated, in “Ask a Nurse” capacity, handling routine information requests from patients, e.g., “Do I need a flu shot every year? When are you giving these shots?”
• Serve as a clinical resource and professional role model for other nursing staff.
• Prioritizes work tasks and services and completes tasks in a timely manner.
• Assist in medical chart reviews and compiling data for audits and reports.
• Maintains accurate, clear and concise progress notes, problem lists, and medication lists.
• Provides patient education regarding disease processes, therapies and healthful behaviors.
• Communicates appropriately and tactfully with staff, consultants, patients, significant others, and community.
• Reduce conflict and increase patient satisfaction whenever possible through timely response to calls.
• Participates in staff, planning, in-service, and other meetings as needed.
• Administers medications and performs medical and nursing procedures as ordered within the scope of practice.
• Perform patient assessment
• Provide education to patients and families when necessary
• Sort patients into priority groups according to guidelines
• Transport patients to appropriate treatment areas
• Communicate status of patients to doctors and nurses
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Adheres to all Agency policies.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Current Texas RN
• BSN Preferred
• BCLS
• Minimum of three years’ experience in direct patient care, preferably in an ambulatory care setting;
• Minimum of three years of experience in out-patient setting.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) skills preferred
• Experience in Multi-Group Health Center setting preferred;