RN - Triage Hospitalist - CARLE

***Either 7A-7P or 11A-11P***The Triage RN is responsible for assisting Adult Hospitalist Triage and Admitting physicians by triaging calls for new admissions to the Hospitalist service. Serve as a liaison between the Hospitalists and ancillary staff regarding triaging patient issues in a timely and effective manner. Perform patient assessments and accumulate pertinent patient data for pending admissions by the supervising Hospitalists. Responsible for the delivery of nursing care using time and resources efficiently integrating a standards-based framework model.

• Interacts with internal and external customers to facilitate appropriate placement of patients and optimize access to hospital resources.
• Initiates and assists with department and internal operational issues to optimize patient care.
• Assess patients: Those awaiting admission as to their current clinical status and to gather information such as outpatient medications, laboratory results and prior medical records in preparation for the physician assessment, and those who are already within the Hospitalist service, observation or inpatient status, who have a perceived change in status or acuity requiring further evaluation.
• Provides leadership through communication about and validation of patient care
• Works in close collaboration with Resource Nurses, Transfer Center/PAL RNs, Stat Nurses, and House Officers to ensure patient throughput and flow issues are addressed and minimized as appropriate.
• Facilitation of centralized patient acceptance and admission throughput from Carle Emergency Department and regional facilities.
• Working at the top of nursing scope, Triage RN acts as a resource to nursing staff for all patients who are currently under the Hospitalist Service.
• Flexibility in scheduling to allow for continued coverage and competency of Triage RN position.
• Utilizing critical thinking, the Triage RN collaborates with Triage MD, House Administrator, ED Charge Nurse, Carle Direct and Unit Nurse Leader for appropriate diagnosis related bed placement.