JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title: Triage Telephone Nurse
Department: Clinical Services
Immediate Supervisor Title: Clinical Services Manager
Job Supervisory Responsibilities: None
General Summary: An exempt position responsible for providing triage (sorting/prioritizing patients) telephone
service to ensure prompt identification of patients with high-risk conditions. May outsource this service to
contractor.
Essential Job Responsibilities:
1. Talks directly to patients on the telephone and then directs them to emergency rooms (Ers)or urgent care
centers or to see their physician during office hours.
2. Performs short evaluation of the patient situation to estimate severity of illness and/or injury including
learning about chief complaint and, as possible, obtaining vital sign and mental status information.
3. Determines urgency of seeing the patient based on brief assessment and on familiarity with a patient’s
condition and history. May use computerized medical information database, which uses algorithms that
closely imitate physician logic and thought patterns, as guide. Confers with physician as needed.
4. Sends those with high-risk chief complaints such as chest pain, abdominal pain, or severe headaches to ER
immediately or arranges for ambulance. May provide appropriate home health advice to those patients who
do not need to go directly to the ER.
5. Sets up appointment for patients who do not need to go to ER but need to see a physician or arranges for
an appointment scheduler to make the appointment.
6. Acts, when designated, in “Ask a Nurse” capacity, handling routine information requests from patients,
e.g., “Do I need a flu shot every year? When are you giving these shots?”
Education: RN degree; BSN or MSN degree preferred. On-the-job training in triage.
Experience: Minimum five years of experience as RN; one to two years of telephone triage experience, preferably
in medical practice setting.
Other Requirements: Current state RN license. Current CPR certificate.
Performance Requirements:
Knowledge:
1. Knowledge of telephone-based clinical assessment techniques.
2. Knowledge of medical practice telephone triage protocols.
3. Knowledge of appropriate home health information for patients to follow until visit with physician, if they
do not need an immediate ER visit.
Advancing Leaders. Advancing Practices.TM
104 Inverness Terrace East . Englewood, CO 80112 . T 303.799.1111 . F 303.784.6110 . mgma.org
Skills:
1. Skill in using electronic medical records to check patient history.
2. Skill in using computerized medical information database during evaluation as guide to appropriate
decision.
3. Skill in making triage decisions and responding quickly and calmly in emergency situations such as calling
911 and arranging for ambulance.
Abilities:
1. Ability to communicate clearly and calmly with patient.
2. Ability to elicit information needed to make brief evaluation.
3. Ability to work closely with physicians and other clinicians as needed.
Equipment Operated: Telephone system at medical practice or contractor office. Computer hardware/software
for access to patient history and medical information databases.
Work Environment: Office setting, well lighted, good air quality. Rare direct contact with patients.
Mental/Physical Requirements: Mostly sedentary position. Hand/arm injury possible from repetitive
movements. Stress generated if high volume of calls and emergencies.
Advancing Leaders. Advancing Practices.TM
104 Inverness Terrace East . Englewood, CO 80112 . T 303.799.1111 . F 303.784.6110 . mgma.org