Triage Nursing Triage nursing involves the care of more injured individuals than the available resources can

handle. Triage, which comes from trier , a French word meaning to sort, is the system used by emergency and medical personnel when it is necessary to ration medical resources. Triage nurses can work at the scene of an accident, such as on a battlefield or at the scene of a major disaster site, like a train accident or building bombing. In some of the triage cases, patients require immediate transport to a hospital to save their lives, while other people might be too severely wounded to treat. When a patient is admitted to a hospital, the triage nurse assesses the patient s condition and determines where the patient s injury fits into the priority list. Sometimes that involves treating the patient directly, while other times patients may be referred to more staff for primary care. A triage nurse is skilled in cardiac care and can offer immediate ECGs to reduce the need to refer to the patient to the next department for further assessment. Chances are, if you ve ever gone into the public entrance of a hospital s emergency room, you ve been assessed by a triage nurse, who will ask questions about your injury or illness, take your pulse, record your temperature, and check other vital signs like blood pressure and heart rate. If a patient needs care immediately, he/she is taken to a treatment area directly, and if a patient s injuries are less lifethreatening, he/she could wait longer. Overall, triage nurses are responsible for assessing and treating patients and scheduling follow-up appointments using a computer system so that patients get the kind of care they need. They have to follow set guidelines, maintain and update documents and important papers, communicate with providers, pharmacists, nurses, and CMAs, all while putting the patient first. Triage nurses also act as the communication between clients and patients if an appointment cancellation must be made.

Information on Triage Nursing All medical professionals consider patients the main priority. For triage nurses, this cannot be truer. Triage is derived from the French word "trier," which means "to sort," explains the Nursing Degree Guide website. The nursing practice involves sorting through patients and their symptoms to provide a more pleasant experience for everyone. Although the profession can be intense and involve seeing a range of health issues, it can be a satisfying career. 1. Types
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Telephone triage nurses work for various medical practices and assess patients' conditions over the phone. Of course, not all symptoms can be evaluated in this manner. In these cases, the nurse schedules a doctor's visit or refers the patient to an urgent care, a clinic or the ER. Other triage nurses work in hospital emergency rooms, specialized health clinics, at accident sites, disaster sites and on the battlefield. These nurses are typically the first to see patients.

Duties
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The triage nurse's basic job is to evaluate patients and determine the severity of illness or injury. Patients are seen by doctors or taken in for tests or further examination in the

order of urgency for medical attention set by the triage nurse. These nurses must communicate with patients, listen to their health problems and ask pertinent questions. Telephone triage nurses offer medical care advice and suggestions for effective overthe-counter medications. Emergency room and specialized clinic triage nurses take patients' vital signs and can provide some treatment or further evaluation. Qualifications
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Good problem solving and judgment is needed. Telephone triage nurses must be able to keep composure and follow legalities while talking to patients who may not be in the best of moods. A polite and caring demeanor is important for all triage nurses. When there is an abundance of walk-ins or ER visitors, it is necessary to be able to handle high stress situations. Good written communication and computer skills are also needed for accurate record keeping.

Benefits
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Triage nursing helps streamline the medical system. By seeing patients in the order of most critical to minor conditions, lives can be saved and conditions kept from becoming increasingly dire as patients sit in waiting rooms. Telephone triage nurses can help patients avoid costly urgent care or ER visits and save time and frustration from being wasted in a waiting room. Those called to accident or disaster sites can literally save lives by determining which of the injured need medical attention first.

TRIAGE: comes the French word trier , meaning to sort SCOPE and PRACTICE of Emergency Nursing ER Nurse: y Establishes priorities y Monitors and continuously assess acutely ill and injured patients y Supports and attends to families y Supervises allied health personnel y Teaches patients and families ISSUES in Emergency Nursing y Legal Issues y Occupational and safety risks for ED staff y Challenge of providing holistic care y Documentation of Consent y Limiting exposure to hx risks Providing holistic care GOAL: Anxiety reduction PRINCIPLES of Emergency Nursing

Categories y Emergent- highest priority  Conditions are life-threatening  Must be seen immediately y Urgent  Have serious health problems  Must be seen in 1 hour y Non-urgent  Have episodic illnesses  Within 24 hours y Fast track  Requires simple first aid 5 LEVELS  Resuscitation  Emergent  Urgent  Non urgent  Minor Triage nurse- takes VS, NVS, hx, dx data Check for ABCs of life FOCUS of Emergency Care:  Preserve or prolong life  Alleviate suffering  Do no further harm  Restore optimal function