Triage Nurse LPN - Internal Medicine

Nebraska Methodist Hospital•Omaha, NE

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Triage Nurse will provide telephone triage service to enhance compliance with the patient's plan of care and ensure prompt identification of patients with high-risk conditions. This will be accomplished by sorting and prioritizing patients through assessments, monitoring, recording, and reporting changes in their condition. Triage nurses will be involved in every aspect of the patient's health. Precision and accuracy in maintaining detailed assessments and reports is important in relaying information to the doctors or to the patients. The nurse will prepare, assist, and instruct patients for examinations and treatment and inform family members on health care education topics.

Requirements

Graduate of an accredited LPN program required.
Minimum 1 year clinical experience required.
Current valid Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) License, valid compact multistate license, or temporary permit while awaiting licensure required.
Knowledge of medical terminology and procedures.
Knowledge of medicine including recognizing and diagnosed diseases, deformities, and other illnesses.
Skill to effectively manage time and prioritize tasks.
Skill to proficiently type information into the computer to capture or detail information quickly.
Ability to provide caring patient care services when talking with patients and their family members.
Ability to critically listen to questions from patients and information from providers to convey information effectively.
Ability to anticipate, recognize, and resolve problems before they occur and avoid bigger problems in the future.
Ability to problem solve during several daily activities which includes the ability to be flexible.
Ability to learn and proficiently navigate through computer programs that contain patient information.
Strong verbal communication skills for positive interaction with providers, staff and patients.
Able to follow written and verbal instructions/directions.
HIPAA understanding.

Nice To Haves

Current American Heart Association or American Red Cross Basic Life Support (BLS) strongly preferred at time of hire, required within 3 months of hire.

Responsibilities

Performs telephone triage to determine patient needs by recording and reporting patient condition to provider and advising patient based on provider instructions.
Provides patient and family education to ensure adequate knowledge/awareness and recommends appropriate community resources as needed.
Documents all lab, procedures, and appointments on tracking forms.
Completes tracking forms and follows up on missed appointments and procedures.
Assists Health Coaches by working patient lists and scheduling appointments as directed.
Maintains work areas to ensure healthy environmental conditions by cleaning and organizing equipment and rooms.
Handles prescription renewals/inquiries to facilitate patient care.
Provides appropriate care specific to the age of the patient to ensure understanding and comfort level of treatment as outlined in the “Age Specific Criteria”.
Completes Nursing Assessments Uses nursing judgment to develop plan of care.
Determines severity of patient illness and intervention to treat while prioritizing patient calls.
Documents clear and concise notes describing phone call utilizing SBAR (situation, background, assessment, recommendation) format.
Communicates between provider and patient appropriately.
Conducts patient and family education; evaluates and documents in chart, the patient's understanding of all education.
Coordinates continuation of care through referrals to specialists.
Prepares exam rooms and equipment to facilitate treatment and examination of patients by setting up instruments/equipment and stocking supplies.
Prepares patient for provider exam by reviewing medical records, weighing patient, checking vital signs, performing medication reconciliation and obtaining information relevant to patient care.
Assists providers to facilitate patient treatment by retrieving tests and medical records and obtaining lab work as directed.
Dispense medications at the direction of a provider to patients.
Assists and/or performs phlebotomy with proper labeling and handling of specimens, accurately completes requisitions, and collects specimens according to standard procedures/protocols and performing and documenting quality control activities.
Ensures accuracy of order entry and completes appropriate documentation without error.