Dr. Schmitt’s Pediatric Telephone Protocols, of course. In addition, there are two books we highly recommend for telephone triage nurses or anyone looking to better understand the role of the triage nurse:
Endorsed by the American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AAACN), this book is a detailed and thought-provoking resource for every front-line nurse practicing telephone triage; as well as the nursing managers, office managers and pediatricians who work with them. It explores the history of nurse triage, the application of the nursing process to telephone triage, the role of decision support tools such as ClearTriage, and numerous examples of challenging triage calls. This is a book you will share with all of your colleagues once you finish it.
This New York Times Bestseller makes a powerful case for why humans benefit from checklists when working with rich and complex sets of knowledge. Gawande shares his experience as a doctor developing the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist, as well as stories from checklists in the airline, building and other industries. A fast but insightful read that drives home the value of accessible protocols for telephone triage nurses. (CLICK HERE to read a 9-page New Yorker article by Dr. Gawande that preceded the full book.)
