Triage Assistant

0.9 FTE night shift 7p-7a

Major Responsibilities

1. Demonstrates competency in the assessment of patients and family:

• Recognize all age specific medical emergencies and critically ill patients prior to triage.
• Responds in emergency situations to patients at outside entrance of Emergency Center.
• Recognizes and prioritizes the critically ill patient and initiates appropriate interventions prior to triage.
• Recognize patients not needing immediate emergency treatment for triage based on presenting symptoms and complaints.
• Identifies patient/family language, learning and disability needs.
• Performs ongoing assessments of patients in the triage waiting area and keeps the triage nurse informed of changes in patient status.
• Actively involves other health care team members in the evaluation process.
• Documents patient rechecks accurately.

1. Utilizes effective interpersonal and communication skills:

• Cheerfully greets all patients and families at front of Emergency Center within a reasonable time frame.
• No justified customer complaints.
• Responds politely and warmly to inquiries, providing information to families and visitors on patient's location.
• Utilizes effective communication skills to include active listening, assertiveness, tact and diplomacy.
• Reports pertinent patient information to the appropriate person(s) in a clear, concise, accurate and timely manner
• Engages in problem solving to resolve patient, staff or unit needs.
• Documents legibly using concise terms, correct terminology and approved abbreviations.
• Exhibits a professional, nonjudgmental demeanor.
• Maintains composure in confrontational situations.
• Works with people with varying personalities and in different emotional conditions and from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds.
• Recognizes peer accomplishments, accepts and gives constructive criticism and shares clinical knowledge.
• Establishes therapeutic relationships with patients, families and members of the health care team through effective use of verbal and non-verbal communication skills.
• Utilizes appropriate lines of authority.
• Maintains confidentiality in accordance with hospital policy.

1. Demonstrates competence in the following organizational skills:

• Time management
• Problem solving
• Prioritization
• Organization of work and environment
• Timely response to patient/RN needs and requests

1. Demonstrates self-growth/accountability:

• Participates in unit quality assurance activities.
• Participates in at least 50% of unit meetings and reads and initials minutes on meetings not attended.
• Maintains awareness of hospital/division/unit procedure/policy changes which affect the delivery of patient care and unit activities.
• Verbalizes how his/her job supports AH values, mission and vision.
• Maintains awareness of current professional trends.

1. Demonstrates competency in the implementation of care:

• Recognizes and responds appropriately to emergency situations.
• Safely administers patient care within the guidelines of licensure.
• Ability to perform CPR.
• Demonstrates and maintains fine motor skills to manipulate medical supplies and equipment.
• Maintains licensure and annual competencies.
• Performs an EKG on patients presenting with chest pain or symptoms of Acute Coronary Syndrome within 10 minutes and meets this 10 minute goal 75% of the time.

1. Participates in maintaining supplies, equipment and unit cleanliness:

• Maintains a neat and orderly appearance of patient areas.
• Reports broken, malfunctioning or missing equipment to the appropriate person.
• Properly handles and stores equipment.

1. Demonstrates safe transport of patients and assists with flow of the patients through triage:

• Transports patients to the Chest Pain Center after obtaining EKG
• Transports patients to OB assessment after a brief interview by the triage nurse.
• Transports critical patients directly to an EC bed upon patient arrival.

High School Diploma or equivalent required.

Graduate of a college or technical school with a degree as a Paramedic, EMT or LPN

Licensed in the state of applicable state as a Paramedic, EMT or LPN

Prior experience as LPN, Paramedic or EMT with field or hospital experience

Basic life support/CPR, familiarity with medical terminology, basic skill in use of computer system, knowledge of hazardous chemicals, MDS information, ability to apply standard precautions and special isolation procedures, ability to remain calm under stressful conditions and perform duties.

• Must be able to use visual near and distance acuity.
• Must have verbal ability to communicate in person and over the phone or radio.
• Must be able to assist co-workers in transfers and transport supplies, patients/residents, or equipment using good body mechanics.
• Must have functional range of motion of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spines, upper and lower extremities with a grip strength of 60-80 pounds, specific to the job class evaluation.
• Must be able to forward reach, overhead reach, bend, squat, kneel and change from one position to the other rapidly.
• Must be able to lift 25-60 lbs. and carry 25-50 pounds specific to job class evaluation.
• Must be able to tolerate high noise, busy atmospheres and noxious odors.
• Must be able to work in noisy environments and be self-directed to complete jobs as ordered.
• Must be able to remain calm under stressful situations.
• Must be able to assess and respond to multiple situations simultaneously.
• Must be able to assist co-workers in multiple overlapping tasks simultaneously.
• Must be able to prioritize job tasks and organize work space to be efficient and conducive to completing work tasks as assigned in a timely manner.
• If job class is identified as falling under POPE C, the individual must pass the cardiac recovery test.
• This position will involve performing procedures or other job related tasks that has an inherent potential of contact with blood, body fluids, or other infectious materials as defined by OSHA to an individual's skin or mucous membranes will occur.
• The procedures or tasks could also result in spills or splashing on an individual's skin or mucous membranes.

DISCLAIMER

All responsibilities and requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only responsibilities to be performed by an employee occupying this job or position. Employees must follow any other job-related instructions and perform any other job-related duties requested by their leaders.

Advocate Health offers a comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and well-being programs, competitive compensation, generous retirement offerings, programs that invest in your career development and so much more – so you can live fully at and away from work, including:

Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs 155,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations, and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to providing equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.