Telephone Triage Protocols for Nurses

Assess the nature and severity of callers’ symptoms quickly and confidently, with Telephone Triage Protocols for Nurses, 6th Edition. More than 200 alpha-organized protocols address a wide range of  symptoms, disorders and medical emergencies, while the flow chart format  leads callers to provide vital Yes or No answers to appropriate  questions.

This comprehensive manual – a must-have for nurses  both new and experienced – offers accurate care recommendations even  when client information is limited.

Follow expert direction and make quick, accurate assessments … 

• NEW and updated protocols offer current best practices and reflect changes in access to medications and health care
• Protocols  address adult, pediatric, geriatric, maternal/child, home health  concerns, current health issues, and communicable disease outbreaks
• NEW protocols include arthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), elder abuse, stroke symptoms, and Zika virus
• Post-operative conditions and considerations have been added to numerous protocols
• Expanded appendices include altered mental status, PTSD, suicide prevention, and emergency preparedness
• Alpha-organized protocols help you quickly locate topics by symptom or condition
• Table of contents by body system helps you quickly locate topics by body system, body part or set of related symptoms
• Peer-reviewed by nursing experts
• Easy-to-follow question-asking flow chart – Yes or No answers lead to specific care recommendations
• Ideal guidance for all nurses, particularly those in triage and ambulatory practice
• Sorts life-threatening problems from those not requiring physician or emergency care
• Increases consistency of advice and documentation
• Nurse Alerts –  help the nurse identify potentially life-threatening conditions related  to the symptoms and provides additional information to consider when  choosing a protocol or triaging the caller’s concern
• Symptoms alpha-organized and grouped by level of urgency, addressing injuries, trauma, pain, swelling and other symptoms for:
  • Body part problems
  • Body system problems
  • Chronic and infectious diseases
  • Behavioral problems
  • Pediatric-specific problems
  • Maternal/obstetric specific problems or conditions
• Sections under every symptom or condition include:
  • Key Questions to ask caller
  • Other Protocols to Consider
  • Reminder – what to note for proper documentation
  • Assessment – Yes or No questions to determine the urgency of symptoms or conditions
  • Actions – clear direction following Yes or No answers to questions
  • Immediate actions – proven protocols that refer caller to emergency, physician, or at-home care instructions
  • Home Care Instructions – comprehensive actions to take before emergency care, before appointment, or at-home care
  • Emergency Instructions – in-the-moment first aid
  • Report the Following Problems – what caller should tell their personal or ER physician
  • Seek Emergency Care Immediately – if certain symptoms occur
  • Reminder to determine if caller agrees with the advice provided and if not, reevaluate
• Must-have resource for  medical offices, clinics, schools, community referrals, emergency  departments, urgent care centers, home health agencies and managed  healthcare providers