Fast Facts for the Triage Nurse: An Orientation and Care Guide in a Nutshell (Fast Facts for Your Nursing Career)

This is a concise, user-friendly orientation guide and reference for new and seasoned nurses, paramedics, preceptors, educators, management teams, and anyone else working in the triage environment. It offers guidelines covering key processes and practices triage nurses use daily. Chapters address core elements of triage such as patient point of entry, acuity scales, and "red-flag" patient presentations and how to handle them; coordination and communication with other health care team members; and documentation. The book offers practical information on triage for emergency department and urgent care settings, with useful tips for both triage orientees and preceptors. It addresses care considerations for specialized populations including geriatric and pediatric patients. The text supplies essential information on teaching and learning principles and the fostering of critical thinking skills, and covers such topics as compassion fatigue, customer service, legal concerns, core measures, and patient and staff safety. Trends in triage nursing such as electronic medical record considerations, provider in triage, and advanced triage protocols are included. Information is organized in brief, bulleted "bites" for knowledge at a glance, and Fast Facts in a Nutshell boxes reinforce key concepts. **__Key Features__*** Provides essential guidance for key procedures and protocols in an easy-to-read, easy-to-access format * Offers practical triage information with a focus on emergency department and urgent care settings * Focuses on processes, critical thinking, and the legal aspects of triage * Includes care considerations for specific patient populations * Incorporates advice from seasoned emergency department nurses and triage educators Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 8 Copyright......Page 9 Contents......Page 12 Reviewers......Page 16 Foreword......Page 18 Preface......Page 20 Acknowledgments......Page 22 Share Fast Facts for the Triage Nurse: An Orientation and Care Guide in a Nutshell......Page 24 Part I: Setting the Stage for Success at Triage......Page 25 What is Triage?......Page 27 Recommended Qualifications of a Triage Nurse......Page 28 Courses and Certifications......Page 29 Purpose of Triage Orientation......Page 30 Triage Orientation......Page 31 Completion of Triage Orientation......Page 33 Reference......Page 34 Adult Teaching and Learning Principles......Page 35 The Generational Divide......Page 37 Benefits of Precepting......Page 39 Ideas for the Orientation......Page 40 Completion of Triage Orientation......Page 41 Reference......Page 43 Triage Tips and Rationale......Page 45 Reflection......Page 50 Compassion Fatigue......Page 53 Lateral Violence......Page 55 Empathy Burnout......Page 56 Part II: Point-of-Entry Processes in Triage Nursing......Page 59 Roles of a Triage Nurse......Page 61 Rapid Triage Assessment......Page 62 Immediate Bedding......Page 63 Comprehensive Triage Assessment......Page 65 Critical Thinking Skills......Page 67 Reference......Page 68 Providing Effective Customer Service......Page 69 Scripting......Page 72 Communication......Page 74 Reassessments......Page 75 Service Recovery......Page 76 Evaluating Service Excellence Efforts......Page 77 Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA)......Page 79 Consent to Treatment......Page 81 LWT, LWBS, LPMSE, LBTC, AMA......Page 82 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)......Page 83 Reportable Conditions and Events......Page 84 References......Page 85 Part III: Nursing Essentials for Effective Triage......Page 87 Triage Acuity: Overview......Page 89 Specific Triage Acuity Scales......Page 91 References......Page 94 Essential Components of Good Documentation......Page 95 Mnemonics to Guide Documentation......Page 98 References......Page 100 Core Measures......Page 101 Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI)......Page 102 Stroke......Page 104 Pneumonia......Page 106 Other Measures and Potential Up-and-Coming Core Measures......Page 107 Sepsis, Severe Sepsis, and Septic Shock......Page 108 References......Page 110 Part IV: Current Trends Impacting Triage Nursing......Page 111 Background......Page 113 Regulations......Page 114 Triage......Page 115 References......Page 116 Benefits of the Electronic Medical Record......Page 117 Pitfalls of the Electronic Medical Record......Page 119 Purpose of Placing a Provider in Triage......Page 121 Communication......Page 122 Key Tips for the Provider......Page 125 Discharges from the WR......Page 127 Implementing a Provider in Triage Program......Page 128 What Advanced Triage Protocols are and Why they are Used......Page 131 Common Considerations and Concerns......Page 132 Review of Common Triage Protocols......Page 134 Part V: “Red Flag” Patient Presentations......Page 137 The Triage Process......Page 139 Essential Triage Questions, Assessment, and Interventions......Page 142 Specific Conditions......Page 143 Reference......Page 144 Essential Triage Questions, Assessment, and Interventions......Page 145 Specific Conditions......Page 147 Reference......Page 151 Essential Triage Questions, Assessment, and Interventions......Page 153 Specific Conditions......Page 155 Red Flag Findings......Page 157 Essential Triage Questions, Assessment, and Interventions......Page 159 Specific Conditions......Page 160 Red Flag Findings......Page 162 Essential Triage Questions, Assessment, and Interventions......Page 163 Specific Conditions......Page 166 Reference......Page 169 Essential Triage Questions, Assessment, and Interventions......Page 171 Specific Conditions......Page 173 Red Flag Findings......Page 177 Essential Triage Questions, Assessment, and Interventions......Page 179 Specific Conditions......Page 181 References......Page 183 Essential Triage Questions, Assessment, and Interventions......Page 185 Specific Conditions......Page 186 Reference......Page 189 Essential Triage Questions, Assessment, and Interventions......Page 191 Specific Conditions......Page 192 Red Flag Findings......Page 194 Essential Triage Questions, Assessment, and Interventions......Page 195 Specific Conditions......Page 196 Reference......Page 198 Essential Triage Questions, Assessment, and Interventions......Page 199 Conditions Requiring Isolation......Page 202 References......Page 204 Essential Triage Questions, Assessment, and Interventions......Page 205 Condition-Specific Questions Related to Trauma......Page 207 Red Flag Findings......Page 210 Part VI: Special Considerations in Triage Nursing......Page 211 Hearing Impaired Patient......Page 213 Patient with a Language Barrier......Page 214 Illiterate Patient......Page 215 Military Personnel......Page 216 Patient with a Left Ventricular Assist Device......Page 217 Intimate Partner Violence......Page 218 Sex Trafficking......Page 219 References......Page 221 Pediatric Triage: Overview......Page 223 Developmental Stages......Page 224 Initial Assessment......Page 225 Pediatric Presentations: Triage Perils......Page 228 References......Page 230 Geriatric Assessment......Page 231 Communicating with a Geriatric Patient......Page 233 Polypharmacy......Page 234 Elder Abuse......Page 235 Cultural Competence......Page 236 References......Page 237 Types of Violence......Page 239 Potential for Violence......Page 240 Psychiatric Patients......Page 242 Security......Page 243 Keeping the Triage Nurse and Others Safe......Page 244 Case Studies......Page 247 Abbreviations......Page 251 Websites......Page 253 Additional Reading......Page 255 Index......Page 263

This is a concise, user-friendly orientation guide and reference for new and seasoned nurses, paramedics, preceptors, educators, management teams, and anyone else working in the triage environment. It offers guidelines covering key processes and practices triage nurses use daily. Chapters address core elements of triage such as patient point of entry, acuity scales, and “red-flag” patient presentations and how to handle them; coordination and communication with other health care team members; and documentation.

The book offers practical information on triage for emergency department and urgent care settings, with useful tips for both triage orientees and preceptors. It addresses care considerations for specialized populations including geriatric and pediatric patients. The text supplies essential information on teaching and learning principles and the fostering of critical thinking skills, and covers such topics as compassion fatigue, customer service, legal concerns, core measures, and patient and staff safety. Trends in triage nursing such as electronic medical record considerations, provider in triage, and advanced triage protocols are included. Information is organized in brief, bulleted “bites” for knowledge at a glance, and Fast Facts in a Nutshell boxes reinforce key concepts.

Key Features

• Provides essential guidance for key procedures and protocols in an easy-to-read, easy-to-access format
• Offers practical triage information with a focus on emergency department and urgent care settings
• Focuses on processes, critical thinking, and the legal aspects of triage
• Includes care considerations for specific patient populations
• Incorporates advice from seasoned emergency department nurses and triage educators

This is a concise, user-friendly orientation guide and reference for new and seasoned nurses, paramedics, preceptors, educators, management teams, and anyone else working in the triage environment. It offers guidelines covering key processes and practices triage nurses use daily. Chapters address core elements of triage such as patient point of entry, acuity scales, and "red-flag" patient presentations and how to handle them; coordination and communication with other health care team members; and documentation. The book offers practical information on triage for emergency department and urgent care settings, with useful tips for both triage orientees and preceptors. It addresses care considerations for specialized populations including geriatric and pediatric patients. The text supplies essential information on teaching and learning principles and the fostering of critical thinking skills, and covers such topics as compassion fatigue, customer service, legal concerns, core measures, and patient and staff safety. Trends in triage nursing such as electronic medical record considerations, provider in triage, and advanced triage protocols are included. Information is organized in brief, bulleted "bites" for knowledge at a glance, and Fast Facts in a Nutshell boxes reinforce key concepts. -- Provided by publisher This Is A Concise, User-friendly Orientation Guide And Reference For New And Seasoned Nurses, Paramedics, Preceptors, Educators, Management Teams, And Anyone Else In Triage Situations. It Features A Consistent Format With Pithy Information Guidelines Covering Key Processes And Practices Triage Nurses Use Daily. Chapters Address Core Elements Of Triage Such As Tips For Success For Triage Orientees And Triage Preceptors, Point-of-entry, Evaluation Processes, Understanding A Variety Of Acuity Scales, “red-flag” Diagnoses And How To Handle Them, Coordination And Communication With Other Health Care Team Members, Documentation Guidelines, And Care Considerations For Special Populations. Teach Like a Champion 2.0 is a complete update to the international bestseller. This teaching guide is a must-have for new and experienced teachers alike. Over 700,000 teachers around the world already know how the techniques in this book turn educators into classroom champions. With ideas for everything from classroom management to inspiring student engagement, you will be able to perfect your teaching practice right away.