RN/LPN - Clinical Triage, PCP (Orleans)

Cape Cod Healthcare•Orleans, MA

About The Position

This role involves monitoring the Electronic Health Record nurse pool, triaging incoming calls, messages, and In-Basket tasks, and prioritizing urgent matters to schedule appointments. The position requires exercising nursing judgment and utilizing standard triage guidelines to meet patient health needs. It involves assessing complex patient needs for appropriate level of care transition, collecting data, and assessing patient responses. The role also includes triaging and scheduling visits based on patient disposition needs and available resources, providing clinical support to the team, and answering phone calls and electronic messages promptly. The nurse will educate patients about community services, collaborate with the interdisciplinary care team, and perform other assigned duties. Specific tasks include greeting and escorting patients, obtaining vital signs, inputting clinical information into the EHR, assisting clinicians with procedures, resolving patient concerns, participating in meetings and trainings, staying current with community resources, maintaining patient rights and confidentiality, and providing clerical support such as scheduling appointments and preparing medical records. The role may require floating to other practices and verifying clinician's orders for tests and procedures. The nurse will also triage walk-in patients and maintain communication with the interprofessional team for safe transitions and continuity of care.

Requirements

Ability to read, write and communicate in English
Graduate of an accredited Practical Nursing program (for LPN)
Currently licensed as a Licensed Practical Nurse in the state of Massachusetts (for LPN)
Graduate of an accredited school of nursing (for RN)
Currently licensed as a Registered Nurse in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (for RN)
Basic Life Support Certification for Health Care Providers
Experience with current office technology and proficient with computer office applications (Electronic Medical/Health Records, MS Office, etc.)

Nice To Haves

A Minimum of two years’ experience in a clinical setting preferred (for LPN)
Minimum of two years’ experience in a clinical setting preferred (for RN)

Responsibilities

Monitor the Electronic Health Record nurse pool throughout the day and respond in a timely manner
Triage incoming calls, messages, and In-Basket tasks, being able to prioritize urgent matters and schedule appointments as needed
Exercises thinking, nursing judgment, and standard triage guidelines to ensure health needs and concerns of a patient, group, or population are met
Assesses complex patient needs to ensure patient is transitioned to appropriate level of care
Demonstrates a systematic, dynamic approach to collect objective and subjective data and assesses the response
Triages and schedules visits based on assessment of patient disposition needs and consideration of available and appropriate resources; refer for emergency and follow up care
Provides clinical support to team, adjusting role and priorities to meet patient care demands
Answers phone calls and electronic messages promptly
Greets callers appropriately by identifying self and department, and provides assistance in a friendly, respectful, and helpful manner
Provides timely, efficient, and accurate triage responses in accordance with professional nursing standards
Documents all calls, encounters, and actions taken into the patient’s medical record timely and completely according to established policy and professional standards
Educate patients about utilization of the clinics’ community services
Collaborate with the interdisciplinary care team as needed to avoid interruption of delivery of services to patients
Performs other work-related duties and activities as assigned or requested
Greets and escorts patients to exam rooms
Obtains relevant information and takes vital signs as indicated (i.e. height, weight, blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation).
Inputs pertinent clinical information into the electronic health record timely and with accuracy and performs a complete medication reconciliation
Assists clinicians with clinical procedures and/or additional tests specific to the department. May advise patient of preparation required for exam or additional testing and keeps patients informed of visit status, unforeseen delays and other relevant information pertaining to the patient’s visit
Assists in resolving patient concerns by acting as an advocate, as appropriate
Participates in practice and department meetings, trainings, etc. to promote continuous improvement and quality patient care
Takes initiative to learn, understand, and stay current with community resources and the greater healthcare system while continuously participating in self-assessment of skills
Maintains patient rights and abides by all confidentiality obligations pursuant to CCHC and HIPAA
Provides clerical/office support as necessary (i.e. scheduling appointments, greeting and registering patients, scanning incoming medical records and paperwork, preparing medical records, answering phone calls and taking messages, faxing, etc.)
Ability to float to other MACC practices when required
Verifies and implements clinician’s orders for testing and/or procedures (EKG’s, dressing changes, spirometry, Holter monitors, etc.)
Triages walk-in patients per established protocols
Maintains communication and collaboration with interprofessional team and others to facilitate safe transitions and continuity of care delivery