How are telephone triage nurses different from other nurses?

While telephone triage nurses have access to electronic medical records, the difficulty lies in not being able to visualize the patient. Nurses are trained to assess patients from the moment they lay eyes on them. Much of a nurse’s assessment comes from non-verbal cues.

What should a nurse do after contact with a patient?

Lastly, be sure to follow through with anything that needs to be done after your contact with the patient. During your next encounter with the patient, provide the answer or the item that the patient requested, and this will help to show the patient that they are cared about.

How does a nurse communicate with the patient?

And a family who sees that their loved one is being listened to and respected will be more likely to communicate with the nurse. Effective communication between the patient and the nurse requires some skills on the part of the nurse. These skills are infrequently talked about in nursing school and even more infrequently practiced.

What should a nurse do for a patient with a communication deficit?

Learn patient needs and pay attention to nonverbal cues. The nurse should set aside enough time to attend to all of the details of patient care. Care measures may take longer to complete in the presence of a communication deficit. Place important objects within reach.

How does a triage nurse work over the phone?

This presents a challenge when assessing over the phone. When a patient calls and speaks to a triage nurse, the nurse first asks what the main complaint is. From there, he or she asks questions about the complaint while listening to cues from the patient that may point to other health issues.

Why are TTNS important to the health care system?

TTNs are especially useful for patients who must travel long distances to reach a medical facility and for those who must struggle to pay for medical services. They also assist doctors in reducing their patient load by remotely guiding patients with minor health problems to save an often-expensive visit to the physician’s office.

Can a nurse work abroad as a telehealth nurse?

While Telehealth nursing for American nurses living abroad is technologically possible, individual employers would consider such a hire on a case-by-case basis. Telehealth and at-home nursing services are a relatively new working environment for most companies with varying degrees of employee oversight and interaction requirements.

Can a nurse work in a different time zone?

Time zone differences between the nurse’s current living country and the telehealth employer is a significant consideration as well. Appropriate internet speeds can be a challenge living overseas. Many countries are still working with broadband or dial-up connections that can be too unreliable for telehealth work.