Learning Center Course 3 Part 4: Case of a Child with an Acute Cough
Just as with our other case studies on baby Laura, Juan, and Paula, this course focuses on how the nurse uses the 10 Critical Steps to perform a thorough assessment on the patient, pick the correct protocol and disposition, and get the patient to the right level of care. The patient in this case is Joseph, an 8-year-old male. When triaging a child, the triage nurse must be able to empathize with an anxious and exhausted parent. The nurse must also know how to have the parent assist them with the assessment, since the child may not be able to fully communicate their condition and symptoms.
Joseph’s mother is calling nurse triage this evening. Joseph is normally a typical, healthy boy. But his mother, Kendra, is calling about a cough and runny nose that started about a week ago. She was considering going to the Emergency Room but decided to call nurse triage first. Kendra, sounds exhausted.
Now is a good time to empathize with her before verifying demographic information. Words of empathy and comfort are easy for some people while others tend to stumble and not know what to say. Practice and time will make it easier. You might try saying something like, “you sound exhausted, this must have been a long week for you,” or “I’m so sorry Joseph isn’t feeling well, you sound as if you all could use a good night’s sleep.” These statements show your patient you are empathetic, but also in a position that you will help them get to a resolution.
In this lesson, you will use the 10 Critical Steps to talk an exhausted Kendra through Joseph’s symptoms and offer her words of sympathy. You will end the call with Kendra feeling confident that she has the tools and information needed, and also knows when she should call the doctor’s office.
If you are caught up on your lessons, go straight to the new lesson here. You can start or continue your training with the courses below:
Introduction to Telephone Nurse Triage: This course offers a quick introduction and overview of telephone nurse triage, how it functions in the healthcare system, and the roles telephone triage nurses play in patient care.
Course 1 – Creating A Positive Call Experience For You and Your Patients: This course teaches you the essential skills to be an effective telephone triage nurse. Topics include working with patients, managing difficult calls, and handling uncomfortable situations.
Course 2 – Clinical Protocol Training: This course familiarizes nurses with the critical steps of a triage call and develops an understanding of protocols. The lessons cover the critical steps to a triage call, what protocols to use and how to use them, and navigating protocols.
About the TriageLogic Online Learning Center
TriageLogic’s Online Learning Center is available free of charge to telephone triage nurses and teams as an educational resource and practical training guide. Along with course videos, coursework includes class notes, related articles, and learning materials. You will receive a TriageLogic Telephone Nurse Triage Certification for each completed course. Managers can also set-up teams and check on their individual nurse progress in the course.
